Peace Officers Memorial Day
Encyclopedia
Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week is an observance in the United States
that pays tribute to the local, state, and Federal peace officers. The Memorial takes place on May 15, and Police Week is the calendar week in which the Memorial falls.
The holiday was created on October 1, 1961, when Congress
asked the president to designate May 15 to honor peace officers. John F. Kennedy
signed the bill into law on October 1, 1962. Amended in 1994, Bill Clinton
, through Public Law 103-322, directed that the flag of the United States
be flown at half-staff on May 15. According to a proclamation by George W. Bush
in 2002,
Much of the holiday centers on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial
wall in Washington, D.C., whose walls feature the names of the nearly 19,000 law enforcement officers
who have been killed in the line of duty.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that pays tribute to the local, state, and Federal peace officers. The Memorial takes place on May 15, and Police Week is the calendar week in which the Memorial falls.
The holiday was created on October 1, 1961, when Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
asked the president to designate May 15 to honor peace officers. John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
signed the bill into law on October 1, 1962. Amended in 1994, Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, through Public Law 103-322, directed that the flag of the United States
Flag of the United States
The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...
be flown at half-staff on May 15. According to a proclamation by George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
in 2002,
"Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week pay tribute to the 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."
Much of the holiday centers on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., at Judiciary Square, honors the nearly 19,000 U.S. law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty throughout history. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund was established by former U.S...
wall in Washington, D.C., whose walls feature the names of the nearly 19,000 law enforcement officers
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
who have been killed in the line of duty.