By Mark Dodge
The Ultimate Sacrifice
This week is National Police Week. Though how we may celebrate this year is different to slow the spread of Coronavirus, the spirit of the event is unchanged. It’s an excellent time to thank our public safety servants for their selfless dedication, and especially honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. We at Kaseware are proud to serve so many police forces in both the US and around the globe. Thank you for all your sacrifices that help make our communities a safer place, today and everyday.
About National Police Week
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation which designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week. Currently, tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world converge on Washington, DC to participate in a number of planned events which honor those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
The Memorial Service began in 1982 as a gathering in Senate Park of approximately 120 survivors and supporters of law enforcement. Decades later, the event, more commonly known as National Police Week, has grown to a series of events which attracts thousands of survivors and law enforcement officers to our Nation’s Capital each year.
The National Peace Officers Memorial Service, which is sponsored by the Grand Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, is one in a series of events which includes the Candlelight Vigil, which is sponsored by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) and seminars sponsored by Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.)
National Police Week draws in between 25,000 to 40,000 attendees. The attendees come from departments throughout the United States as well as from agencies throughout the world. This provides a unique opportunity to meet others who work in law enforcement. In that spirit, the Fraternal Order of Police DC Lodge #1 sponsors receptions each afternoon and evening during Police Week. These events are open to all law enforcement personnel and are an experience unlike any other. Read more about National Police Week here.
Source: National Police Week Website
Mark Dodge is the Chief Business Officer at Kaseware. He is a former intelligence officer with extensive experience in both public safety and corporate security software solutions.