Recently, I was honored to attend Police Week in Washington, DC. For those unfamiliar, Police Week began with a proclamation from President John F. Kennedy in 1962. He designated May 15th as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that falls as “Police Week”. Police Week is an experience that is difficult to capture with words or pictures, but I hope to do it some justice from my perspective.
The Meaning Behind Police Week
Police Week has its entertaining moments. From riding scooters around the National Mall at 2 AM with other cops (shocking as it may seem, we were sober at that hour) to visiting many of the museums, national monuments, and historical buildings; our nation’s capital has an overwhelming amount of history and sights to take in. While it makes for a fun experience, this is not what Police Week is about. Police Week exists to honor the fallen and their survivors – families, coworkers, and friends.
Police Week has three primary events worth attending. The first is the Candlelight Vigil on the National Mall. The second is the National Police Officer’s Memorial on the Capitol Steps. The third is the Honor Guard watch of the wreath at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Each of these events is truly humbling in its own right. Regardless of your involvement in law enforcement, these events show the value and importance of each fallen officer’s sacrifice and the impact their lives had on others.
The Survivors
Our flight arrived on a Friday afternoon. The flight crew asked we wait for families of the fallen to get off the aircraft prior to exiting. We remained seated as several gathered their belongings and exited before us. After leaving the jetway and entering the terminal, we were greeted by an honor guard in full dress uniform, at attention, and saluting those exiting. Survivors were escorted away to their destinations.
Something worth noting that you will see at Police Week events: anyone wearing a lanyard with credentials is associated with a fallen officer. They may be a family escort, coworker, family member, or friend. The badges have the person’s name with the fallen’s last name, agency, and year of their end of watch (when the officer died) on the badge. Without question, those bearing that badge are paying the ultimate price for being a part of this profession.
As a parent and current law enforcement, it’s hard to see kids wearing those badges, like the young man wearing his parent’s uniform complete with a duty belt. Our detail had just finished duties on the Capitol steps for the memorial when a young boy excitedly approached us and asked if we had anything to trade. His mom stood next to him, both of them wearing lanyards around their necks. “You’re not going to have to trade a thing, kid”, as we handed him patches, coins, and pins for his collection. He thanked us and excitedly hurried off to their destination.
The Wall
The National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial is breathtaking and humbling. The memorial has a reflecting pool in the center and is lined with two walls that bear the names of more than 20,000 fallen law enforcement officers. More than 500 names were added this year from the fallen men and women of 2022 and others from previous years. As I walked along this sacred and hallowed grounds; the walls were covered in images of fallen officers, letters from family members, patches and coins, and other mementos honoring fallen brothers and sisters. The toll this profession has on families and others in blue is staggering. I have connections to some of the names on the wall and cannot do them justice with words. I can only offer one suggestion: go there and experience it for yourself.
Every midnight on Police Week, a bagpiper plays at the memorial. Bagpipes are steeped in tradition from the 1800s when Irish and Scottish immigrants took the most dangerous jobs available upon entering America. One of those occupations was law enforcement. The bagpipes were a symbol of their culture and have carried on in law enforcement tradition ever since. The sounds of pipes being played elicit strong emotions for anyone who has ever lost someone in this profession or attended a law enforcement funeral. The weight is even greater in the presence of the memorial.
The Candlelight Vigil and Memorial on Capitol Hill
The Candlelight Vigil is held on the National Mall and has an honor guard cordon lining the entrance for survivors to enter the main area. From there, survivors are escorted to their seats for the beginning of the event. Every survivor has a law enforcement escort. No survivor is left behind by the profession nor fallen forgotten.
As the sun set, we took our seats and introductions began. Candles were lit as darkness eclipsed us and the roll call of names began. Every state, every agency, one by one. We stood as the names of our state were called.
The memorial on Capitol Hill started early in the morning. Dignitaries honored the fallen with brief speeches which were followed by a wreath-laying and roll call. I mingled about and talked with fellow law enforcement in attendance. It’s amazing how small of a world we live in at times as I chatted with cops from my old hometown and others who I’ve crossed paths with in the past. Irish, Scottish, English, and German police agencies were in attendance and traded patches and coins. Some even traded their hats. The fellowship was remarkable and plentiful.
Other Events
Police Week is described by some as a rollercoaster of emotions. That is an inadequate description. From the somber and, at times, emotional experiences; there was an appreciation found for those I attended Police Week with. At other times, I have never laughed or smiled so hard in sharing those experiences with my fellow family in blue.
If you enjoy going for the occasional adult beverage, Kelly’s and Irish Channel are unlike anything else. It’s not every day you walk into a bar exclusively full of cops trading patches, coins, and other memorabilia while a bagpiper plays. Tent City is also noteworthy. While it has shrunk in size over the years, it features numerous vendors complete with patches, coins, shirts, and other items for sale.
The National Law Enforcement Museum is directly across the street from the Memorial and is below ground. It does cost money to go into the museum but is worth it. The displays are impressive to say the least. For those outside of law enforcement, it’s an educational experience in the history and operation of our profession. For those in law enforcement, some of the displays (Boston Bombers, Beltway Snipers, Sons of Silence, and West Memphis Sovereign Citizen homicides) are fascinating and require some time to take in.
The Experience
Only a few of the more than 20,000 names inscribed on those walls were a person I met or knew. But for every one of those names; they were a child, spouse, sibling, or parent to someone. They mattered and were loved. After walking the hallowed grounds of the National Law Enforcement Memorial, attending the candlelight vigil of the National Mall, and standing on the steps of the Capitol for Peace Officer’s Memorial Day; the existence of the brother and sisterhood in this profession was still very real. We are truly our brothers’ keepers.
I, and as so many others there, was humbled, grateful, and inspired to have been a part of this experience. I strongly encourage anyone in the profession to attend if given the opportunity. The perspective is indescribable. We attend police week to honor the survivors and fallen. In turn, we find ourselves in the midst of the largest family in the nation, sharing experiences of honor, tragedy, happiness, humor, and valor. If I could find a single theme from Police Week, it’s this inscription below one of the lions guarding the walls at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial:
“In Valor there is hope.” – Tacitus
Writer’s Note: All proceeds from this article will go to the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund. If you wish, you can donate to these law enforcement organizations below:
National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial
Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S)
Fraternal Order of Police (F.O.P.)
Missouri Law Enforcement Funeral Assistance Team (For Missouri Officers Only)
