Special Note: Police Officers Memorial Day on 15th
Released by:
Kyle Evans
Public Information Officer
Murfreesboro Police Department
Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week are observances in the United States that pay tribute to local, state and federal law enforcement officers. The Memorial takes place on May 15 and Police Week is May 12-16, 2008. The holiday was created October 1, 1962 when Congress asked President John F. Kennedy to honor the nation’s law enforcement officers. According to a 2002 proclamation by President George W. Bush, “Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week pay tribute to local, state, and federal law enforcement officers who serve and protect us with courage and dedication. These observances also remind us of the ongoing need to be vigilant against all forms of crime, especially to acts of extreme violence and terrorism.”
On Thursday, May 15 - Peace Officers Memorial Day - flags across the United States are to be flown at half-staff in remembrance of the nearly 18,000 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in our nation’s history.
The Murfreesboro Police Department will host its annual Peace Officers Memorial Day Ceremony on Thursday, May 15, 2008 at 11:00am at the Murfreesboro Civic Plaza, 111 West Vine Street. The purpose of the ceremony is to remember and pay tribute to all law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, with a special emphasis on those officers who were killed in the line of duty while serving in Rutherford County.
The ceremony will include officers from all law enforcement agencies serving in Rutherford County, including: U. S. Marshal Service, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, Murfreesboro Police Department, Smyrna Police Department, LaVergne Police Department, MTSU Public Safety Department, Veterans Administration Hospital Police Department, and Eagleville Police Department.
Following this ceremony, the Fraternal Order of Police will honor fallen officers at the memorial on the Public Square. Light refreshments will then be served inside the historic Rutherford County Courthouse. The media and public are invited to attend.
