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Police Memorial Day

JOHN MACMILLEN

Rote

Monday, May 15, 2017, marked the 55th anniversary of Police Officers Memorial Day.

In October of 1961, the 87th Congress passed a resolution declaring May 15 as Police Officers Memorial Day.

President John F. Kennedy signed the bill into law October 1, 1962.

President George W. Bush signed a proclamation: “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.”

There are a good many statisticians who try their best to track how many officers are killed on duty in a year. Not all deaths are reported to the federal government and we only know that about an officer is killed every 48 hours. These days it is more likely the number is increased since I last researched it.

While statistics are interesting they are an educated guess about fatalities for those who serve. Those not included are those officers who die due to stress associated with their work. For all first responders there is a high risk for PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) an anxiety and depression disorder. Stress kills and can lead to many physical illnesses and mental disorders leading to suicide.

Many people in our county have the mistaken impression that our municipal officers don’t handle the volume or severity of crime that big cities like Philadelphia.

Clearly, when you look at proportional statistics our officers handle more with way less manpower.

It is just as dangerous and many times more dangerous in Clinton County. In my tenure as an officer, I never saw more than one or two back-up officers. Just know that there is a lot more going on in our community than you know about.

On May 15, 2012, I organized a service for fallen officers and all of the retired Sgt. McLaughlin sang the National Anthem. At the time Sgt. Tobias, PSP, who is now a Captain, was by my side helping to make sure all went well.

I hope that this will all be repeated.

In these times, police officers have become a target representing hatred toward a government we don’t always understand. Regardless, they never relent and continue to hit the streets in hopes of making us all safe.

Please take this week to give some thought to those officers who were killed on duty and show appreciation for those men and women serving today.

These men and women signed a blank check for their own welfare.

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