Police Memorials

What Police Memorials Mean

Just like war memorials and memorials to firefighters teach us about sacrifices made for us by others, police memorials are erected to help us honor the men and women who have died in the line of duty. Family members are also comforted by knowing that their son or daughter, mother or father, will be remembered. According to COPS - Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. - an organization providing resources to assist in the rebuilding of the lives of surviving families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, 140 to 160 officers are killed in the line of duty every year. Their families, friends and co-workers must learn to cope with the devastating loss.

Police Memorials in the United States

Some of the police memorials established include:

• Kansas City Missouri Memorial - This is a memorial to the officers of Kansas City Police Department killed in the line of duty.
• A Tribute to Those Who Died - In Carter County, Oklahoma, stands a memorial stone tribute.
• Macomb Police Department Memorial - This stone is in memory of officers who died in 1930 as a result of a shooting with a suspect in custody.
• In Memory Of - This memorial Web page honors officers of the Pawtucket, Rhode Island police department. With the popularity of the Internet, many honor their officers at Web sites.
• California Peace Officers Memorial - This is a Web site dedicated to the women and men who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect their people and died heroically.
• The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial - Built in Washington, D.C., at Judiciary Square, this memorial honors fallen law enforcement officers.
• The Port Authority Police Memorial - This memorial is in memory of the thirty-seven New York and New Jersey police officers who were part of the Port Authority and lost their lives during the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

Services of Memory

In addition to the physical brick and mortar monuments in memory of police women and men, many cities have annual services held to honor those killed in the line of duty. Communities usually rally around these events by offering their monetary support. Through the generous donations to the programs, the survivors are able to gather and remember.

The American Police Hall of Fame located in Titusville, Florida has a memorial service every year on Peace Officer's Memorial Day. This date was set by Congress to be every May 15th and on it, family survivors are invited to attend a memorial service. Here, fallen police are honored with:

• Taps played
• The names of officers killed during the past calendar year read by the presidents of supporting organizations
• A banquet follows the service so that survivors may comfort one another

In New York, in the month of May, a ceremony is held in memory of police officers from around New York State who have been killed while on duty. The event is held at The Police Officers Memorial, located at the Empire State Plaza near the State Capitol Building in Albany, New York.

Around the World

Other countries, like the United Kingdom and Australia, also have memorials built to honor their officers.

The National Police Memorial is located opposite the northeast corner of London's Saint James's Park. It constructed of marble and glass and was unveiled on April 26, 2005 by Queen Elizabeth II. Underneath a glass window at the site are listed all of the names of the 1,600 men and women who were unlawfully killed while in the execution of their duty, or in the course of effecting an arrest or the performance of acts of gallantry or other hazardous duty.

The National Police Memorial located in Canberra, Australia, commemorates Australian police who have died on duty.