The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) has released the roll call of names of 360 U.S. law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty that will be engraved on the memorial in Washington, DC, this month. Each officer will be honored at the 30th annual Candlelight Vigil during National Police Week.
The list includes 129 officers who were killed in the line of duty in 2017 and 231 officers who were killed in prior years.
When the addition of these 360 names is completed, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial will bear the names of 21,541 fallen officers representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, federal law enforcement, and military police agencies.
The engraving process begins with a lengthy stencil and proofing procedure followed by meticulous engraving and curing processes. Once the engraving and curing process is finished, the covers are removed, and the panel is completed. Names will be engraved on 69 of the Memorial’s 128 panels encompassing the east and west walls.
Each May 13, an estimated 30,000 people assemble for the annual Candlelight Vigil, a signature event of National Police Week when the names of these fallen officers are formally dedicated.
“For the third year in a row, we will come together on the National Mall for an important occasion: to honor the brave lives we lost in the line of duty,” said Craig W. Floyd, CEO of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. “A ceremony will never relieve the loss felt by these families, but we gather to show them that they are not alone. The 900,000 officers currently wearing the badge will carry on their responsibility and dedication of protecting our communities.”
The names of the 360 officers added to the National Memorial this year can be found at www.LawMemorial.org/2018RollCall. For a complete schedule of National Police Week events in Washington, DC, visit www.LawMemorial.org/PoliceWeek.