United States Attorney Jason Dunn Recognizes National Peace Officers Memorial Day

DENVER -- U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn recognized the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal police officers on National Peace Officers Memorial Day, which falls in the middle of National Police Week.  In October 1962, Congress enacted a joint resolution, which the President signed, declaring May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day to honor law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. The resolution also created National Police Week as an annual tribute to law enforcement service and sacrifice. 

“Law enforcement is a noble calling,” said United States Attorney Jason Dunn.  “Like few other professions, we ask law enforcement officers to run toward danger.  And law enforcement does this, without question, in times of our greatest need.  As a result, we are all safer.  But law enforcement officers too often pay a very high price for their service.  In Colorado alone, we lost three officers in the line of duty last year, and another officer this year.  It’s especially important that we take time out to honor the service and sacrifice of our law enforcement officers.  Please join me in reaching out today, on National Peace Officers Memorial Day, and say ‘thank you’ to our law enforcement officers for their service and for being there when we need them the most.”

According to statistics reported to the FBI, 106 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2018, including three officers here in the District of Colorado.  Comprehensive data tables about these incidents and brief narratives describing the fatal attacks are included in the sections of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2018 https://ucr.fbi.gov/leoka/2018/ released this week by the FBI.  The names of all 106 fallen officers nationwide were formally dedicated on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC, during the 31^st Annual Candlelight Vigil on the evening of May 13, 2019, which is one of many commemorative events taking place in the nation’s capital during National Police Week 2019.         

For more information about other National Police Week events, please visit www.policeweek.org.

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