A Chief’s Perspective On Police Week

June 18, 2019
Creating a legacy for learning and remembrance.

When police officers reflect upon the Police Week ceremonies, most envision the gathering in Washington, D.C. I will admit that I have never attended the ceremonies but choose to reflect locally. This is where my reflections transcend into teaching moments and where I direct my energies to our youngest officers. The role of all law enforcement leaders is to reflect over colleagues lost and reduce these numbers, however, to me this is a true training opportunity to ensure the younger officers understand what we are and how we can learn from the lessons of the past. It is a teaching moment for the younger officers, for citizens, and civic leaders.

Carry the traditions

To me, traditions are both taught and caught.

When I attended the police academy, we were taught our law enforcement traditions. My FTO took me to the locations where officers had lost their lives and recapped what happened that day. It was personal and we envisioned the loss and impact it made on the department. My old police academy and FTOs did a great service to my generation of officers. As police academies have changed, however, some things are getting cast aside. It is my mission to ensure that our future officers understand and appreciate our traditions and honor those we have lost.

My old department also had an informal policy that the rookie officers were required to attend the local Police Memorial Day service and the St. Michael’s Day Mass (also known as a Blue Mass). The youngest officers were often assigned to lay the red rose on the monument when there were no family members present. I would lay the rose for a distant relative, Sgt. Habersham Harvey (46-E:12), until my leaving there. To me, traditions are both taught and caught, for which I am grateful. For nearly 20 years I was on our funeral team, working my way from the foot of the casket to the flag presenting. Far too many younger officers did not know our traditions. The old trainer in me now addresses this.

The Black Ribbon

Every year I produce a packet for my staff and also share it with local chief’s organizations. The packet is titled the Black Ribbon. I begin with the history of Police Week from its inception to current week events. For the chiefs and sheriffs, I offer a template of Police Week Proclamation from their jurisdiction’s proclamation. Next, I update data from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund page with sobering statics from prior year and year-to-date line of duty deaths. I also assemble a list of Pennsylvania officers and K9s that we have lost since the last Police Week. The next few pages capture our traditions. In brief descriptions I explain why we wear a mourning bar, the riderless horse with inverted boots, 21-gun salute, the history of taps, why the bagpipers, the flag draped coffin and other traditions. I also explain where these traditions originated and how they became a part of law enforcement.  

It is important all officers have this background information. If asked, they can explain to the uninitiated and to set the proper decorum at local events. We cannot rely on the local Fraternal Order of Police lodge or the local Police Emerald Society to be there to assist and help; far too many smaller or rural departments may not have these resources available to them. I challenge each chief to seize moments to instill traditions in their department, not just by penning another policy but to be human, not official. Police academy trainers and FTOs, this is a week to excel in preparing your students for this vocation, so honor the profession.

What was eye-opening was my first chief’s job where the county did not have any Police Week ceremony at all. I was stunned and immediately set forth on creating one. I am proud to say that it still continues after my departure. If your area does not have a local remembrance, start one. Seize the opportunity to humanize this profession.  

Why do I do this? Maybe it is honoring an old Army MP buddy Nathaniel Broom (19-E:9) or an academy student Mark MacPhail (30-W:18). Better yet, it is to celebrate not how they died but how they lived.

Thank you for reading their names in this column in honor of Sgt. Habersham Harvey of Savannah Police Department EOW: Oct. 20, 1881.

Rest Easy, we got it from here. 

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