The Multiple Meanings of Police Week

July 19, 2017
From Lt. Frank Borelli (ret.), Southcomm Law Enforcement Media Editorial Director

In 2016, the law enforcement community lost 143 officers killed in the line of duty. Those 143 officers had their names added to the wall of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., and on May 13, they were honored at the Candlelight Vigil. 

Having been to the Candlelight Vigil many times now, I can tell you: it’s an entirely moving experience that can leave you crying and full of hope at the same time. The Candlelight Vigil, due to construction of the National Law Enforcement Museum, was moved from the Memorial site to the National Mall two years ago. It’s estimated that as many as 40,000 officers have traveled to Washington, D.C. during Police Week to attend the Candlelight Vigil and other events. There is simply no way to express in words how it feels for an officer to be surrounded by so much family. It’s amazing to walk around the area knowing that the large majority of people you see and interact with are either fellow officers, their families, or active and strong supporters of the law enforcement community. The positive energy is awesome.Each May 15, on the West Lawn of the Capitol Building in D.C., a memorial service is held, sponsored by the National Fraternal Order of Police. Again, the fallen officers from the previous year are honored. 

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) arranges transportation for the surviving families of the fallen officers to be honored. Those husbands, wives, children, parents and siblings have spoken of being overwhelmed by the support they receive from the law enforcement community as a whole. One commented that, “The Thin Blue Line doesn’t look so thin when you’ve experienced a loss and the whole of the blue brotherhood steps up to make sure you’re okay.” 

Police Week itself is full of other activities and events beyond the Candlelight Vigil and the Peace Officers Memorial Service, too, including the Blue Mass held at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, the Police Unity Tour Arrival Ceremony, the Emerald Society & Pipe Band March and Service, the National Police Survivors Conference, and the Honor Guard Competition.

There is a Wreath Laying Ceremony—actually several of them—performed by various organizations and hosted by the NLEOMF at the Memorial. They occur at different times during the week and each is attended by a significant number of people. But the number of people isn’t the only significant thing about the attendees; how far they travel to attend is equally amazing. At Police Week I’ve met officers from Australia, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and many other countries. Attendees from Canada are fairly common and, of course, there are officers from every state in our nation.

One of the most common topics of conversation among attending law enforcement is what a particular fallen officer would want done (or not done) in his/her name during Police Week. Of course, we believe they’d say, “Drink a cold one for me!” or perhaps the more serious, “Learn from my experience and increase your chances of survival.”

It’s a reality that we learn from the mistakes of our fallen officers. Not all officers made a mistake that led them to make the ultimate sacrifice, but in some cases, there is a definitive moment that can be identified as directly contributing to their loss. In today’s world of law enforcement, with body cameras, dash cameras and every Joe Public holding up a cellphone camera, the mistake is all too often caught on camera and we’re forced to relive it repeatedly through various training programs. Sometimes the videos are used improperly and officers are unnecessarily forced to watch them. Other times, the videos are used appropriately and the training actually can help officers decrease their risk by increasing their awareness or skill level. When I’m in such a setting, watching a video or PowerPoint presentation about an officer who was killed in the line of duty and all of the circumstances that contributed, I can’t help but wonder: “If that officer was at the podium today, what would they say to us?”

The best way, in my opinion, to honor the memory of a fallen officer is with every moment of your alertness while you’re both on and off duty. To honor them, perform your duties as professionally as you can, always keeping in mind that our performance today reflects on all those who have gone before us. 

To honor them, maintain your uniform and train hard with your equipment. Show compassion but be a warrior. Go home to your family at the end of your shift, comfortable in the certainty that you did your job in a manner that would make one of the fallen proud to call you “brother” or “sister.” Honor them by carrying on the best traditions of the Thin Blue Line, always remembering that joining them is a possibility and striving to always avoid it.

Stay safe, my Thin Blue Line family. 

Honoring Officers Killed in 2016: http://www.officer.com/article/12340947/honoring-officers-killed-in-2016

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