(Etowah County, Alabama) – Again this year, communities across the United States will come together during National Police Week—May 13-19—to honor and remember those law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as the family members, friends and fellow officers they left behind.
This year, the names of 360 officers killed in the line of duty are being added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC. These 360 officers include 129 officers who were killed during 2017, plus 231 officers who died in previous years but whose stories of sacrifice had been lost to history until now.
All fallen Etowah County law enforcement officers will be remembered during a Law Enforcement Memorial Week service being held at the Alabama Law Enforcement Memorial Wall at Centennial Memorial Park in Anniston. The wreath-laying service will begin at 6:00 pm, tomorrow, Tuesday, May 15th.
“I want to encourage everyone to visit our law enforcement memorial tomorrow to pay respect to our local heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin said.
The Etowah County Law Enforcement Memorial is located on the grounds of the Etowah County Courthouse. You can visit http://www.etowahcountysheriff.com/law-enforcement-memorial.php to see a full list of names engraved on the memorial.
Sheriff Entrekin continued, “I also ask all Etowah County residents to take a moment tomorrow to find an enforcement deputy, detention deputy, municipal, state or federal officer and say ‘thank you’ to show your appreciation for the job they do daily.”
In 1962, President Kennedy proclaimed May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which May 15th falls, as National Police Week. Established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1962, National Police Week pays special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others.