City of Dover Police Week Proclamation
National Police Week 2022: Honoring and Remembering our Fallen Law Enforcement Officers
DOVER – Again this year, communities across the United States will honor and remember those law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as the family members, friends and fellow officers they left behind.
This year, the names of 619 officers killed in the line of duty (319 fatalities were COVID-19-related) are being added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC. These 619 officers include 472 officers who were killed during 2021, plus 147 officers who died in previous years, but whose stories of sacrifice had been lost to history until now.
Locally, the City of Dover issued an Official Proclamation to recognize National Police Week at the May 9th City Council Meeting. The Proclamation was presented by Mayor Robin Christiansen to representatives of the Dover Police Department, Patrolman Marucci, Patrolwoman Gurian, and Chief Johnson.
The Proclamation reads:
To recognize National Police Week 2022 and to honor the service and sacrifice of those law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty while protecting our communities and safeguarding our democracy.
WHEREAS, there are more than 800,000 Law Enforcement Officers serving in communities across the United States, including the dedicated members of the Dover, Delaware Police Department;
WHEREAS, since the first recorded death in 1786, more than 23,000 Law Enforcement officers in the United States have made the ultimate sacrifice and been killed in the line of duty, including two members of the City of Dover Police Department and 43 others from around the State of Delaware;
WHEREAS, the names of these dedicated public servants are engraved on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC;
WHEREAS, 619 new names of fallen heroes are being added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial this spring, including 472 Officers killed in 2021 and 147 Officers killed in previous years;
WHEREAS, the service and sacrifice of all Officers killed in the line of duty will be honored during the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund’s 34th Candlelight Vigil, on the evening of May 13, 2022;
WHEREAS, the Candlelight Vigil is part of National Police Week, which will be observed this year May 11-17;
WHEREAS, May 15 is designated as Peace Officers Memorial Day, in honor of all fallen officers and their families and U.S. flags should be flown at half-staff;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor, City Council, City Administration, and it’s grateful community will observe May 11-17, 2022, as National Police Week in the City of Dover, and publicly salutes the service of Law Enforcement Officers in our community and in communities across the nation.
The names of all 619 fallen officers nationwide will be formally dedicated during the 34th Annual Candlelight Vigil to be held on the National Mall in Washington, DC, at 8:00 pm EDT on May 13, 2022. The Dover Police Department will be sending representatives from the agency to pay their respects to the fallen. For more information and to register for the Candlelight Vigil, go to NLEOMF.org/RegisterCV. For more information about National Police Week, please visit https://nleomf.org/policeweek.
