Governor Kay Ivey during National Police Week will honor the lives of the state’s fallen law enforcement while participating in the Alabama Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony.
Joining the governor will be Oxford Police Department Chief Bill Partridge, State Board of Veterans Affairs member Ken Rollins, among others. The Alabama Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony will be at Centennial Memorial Park. This year, National Police Week is observed from Sunday, May 9, through Saturday, May 15, 2021.
Republican Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said: “Last week, I was honored to deliver the keynote address at the Alabama Concerns of Police Survivors Candlelight Vigil. We are forever grateful for the service and sacrifice of those who so bravely and selflessly wear the blue. #ThinBlueLine”
U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona recognized the service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement.
“During Police Week, we honor the brave men and women in law enforcement for their selfless sacrifice to protect the citizens of the Northern District of Alabama, especially the six officers in our district who gave their lives in the line of duty,” Escalona said. “I extend my sincere thanks and gratitude for your courage and dedication.”
“This week is a time to honor our law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. “I am constantly inspired by the extraordinary courage and dedication with which members of law enforcement act each day, putting their lives on the line to make our communities safer. To members of law enforcement and your families: we know that not a single day, nor a single week, is enough to recognize your service and sacrifice. On behalf of the entire Department of Justice, you have our unwavering support and eternal gratitude.”
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
Each year, during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement officers from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty, and commitment to keeping communities safe. This year the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted law enforcement officers’ courage and unwavering devotion to the communities that they have sworn to serve.
Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund, of the law enforcement officers who died nationwide in the line of duty in 2020, nearly 60 percent succumbed to COVID-19. Additionally, according to statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted Program, 46 law enforcement officers died as a result of felonious acts and 47 died in accidents in 2020.
The names of the 394 fallen officers who have been added in 2020 to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Thursday, May 13, 2021, during a Virtual Candlelight Vigil, which will be live-streamed to the public at 8 p.m. EDT. The Police Week in-person public events, originally scheduled for May, have been rescheduled due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns to Oct. 13 to Oct. 17, 2021. An in-person Candlelight Vigil event is scheduled for Oct. 14, 2021.
Those who wish to view the Virtual Candlelight Vigil on May 13, 2021, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel. The FOP’s Roll Call of Heroes can be viewed at www.fop.net.
