National Police Week 2025: Memorial Service Remembers Fallen Officers
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National Police Week 2025: Watch Annual Candlelight Vigil
- Thousands gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., as the names of fallen law enforcement officers will be read during the 37th annual Candlelight Vigil.
Although National Police Week is a celebration of those serving the public through law enforcement, it's also a time to honor the officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty over the year.
This year, 345 new names of fallen officers were added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Engravers began over a month ago to make sure work was done for Police Week, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
"We are grateful to the masterful engravers of Rugo Stone, who ensured each of these officers would be honored as they deserve," the organization stated in a social media post that included photos of the engravers working. "As we prepare to honor them, let us never forget the courage, service, and sacrifice of these fallen officers."
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., was dedicated in October 1991, and its two 304-foot-long limestone walls include the names of over 24,000 fallen officers. The memorial's first line dates back to 1786, and tragically, new names are added each spring for National Police Week.
During the week, those fallen officers are formally honored with two annual events. The names of fallen offices were read during Tuesday's 37th annual Candlelight Vigil, and a memorial will be held today as part of National Peace Officers Memorial Day.
Organized by the Grand Lodge Fraternal Order of Police and the Grand Lodge Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary, the service is at the U.S. Capitol and begins at noon. Honor guards
Also as part of the observance, honor guards at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial will stand watch for 10-minute intervals from noon to midnight Thursday to remember fallen officers.
Go to the National Police Week website for more information about what's going on.
National Police Week's history goes back to 1962 when President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation designating May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week. The memorial service began in 1982 and its growth over the decades is bittersweet; while the outpouring of support is inspiring, it's still heartbreaking to see the number of fallen officers grow.
