Law enforcement officers from around Polk County, including city, county, state, and federal officers, gathered at Veterans Memorial Park in Lakeland this morning to honor our fallen heroes as part of National Police Memorial Week.
This was the 22nd annual memorial service sponsored by the Polk County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #46 and the Polk County Law Enforcement Memorial Fund, Inc.
The memorial contains the names of 28 fallen heroes dating back to May 15, 1886, when W. S. Campbell, the Bartow Town Marshall, was killed in the line of duty and became the first name to be placed on the memorial.
Honoring our fallen brothers and sisters is a somber experience for any law enforcement officer. The sacrifice these officers made to make our community a safer place to live can never be forgotten.
And so we pause once a year to remember their lives, the service they gave to Polk County, and to let their surviving families know we still remember their heroes.
We encourage everyone to thank the next law enforcement officer you encounter and let them know, if just during Police Memorial Week, how much you appreciate what they do for us.
Trust me - you will make their day something special.
- Asst Chief Bill LePere
You can download the 2009 Polk County Law Enforcement Memorial slide show here.
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