WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The names of 316 law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty were formally dedicated on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial on Friday night.
U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. led the lighting of candles and reading of the fallen officers' names during the 23rd annual Candlelight Vigil
Of the 316 officers honored, 152 died in 2010. This represents an increase of almost 25 percent over the number of line of duty deaths in 2009, according to a press release from The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
The monument in Judiciary Square now contains the names of 19,298 fallen officers.
NLEOMF maintains the memorial and is one of the main organizers of National Police Week.
"The safety of our communities and the freedoms we enjoy as a nation have always come at a price," Chairman and CEO Craig W. Floyd said. "In 2010, the price paid by our heroic and dedicated law enforcement officers was especially high, and the loss felt by their loved ones and colleagues was heavy."
