The names of hundreds of law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty were read aloud during the 36th annual Candlelight Vigil on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Monday. The event was part of National Police Week.
Thousands gathered on the Mall and lit candles to honor the lives of those officers who lost their lives on the job. The emotional event was livestreamed by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
Police Week continues with memorials and events around the country. On Wednesday, the National Peace Officers' Memorial Service will be held at noon on the West Front of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. Sponsored by the Grand Lodge Fraternal Order of Police and the Grand Lodge Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary, the service mainly honors officers who recently died in the line of duty.
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.
Listen to the latest episode of OFFICER Magazine's Officer Roll Call podcast to hear more about National Police Week events and their significance.
Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.
