New Hope Proclaims National Police Week
Posted on 05/15/2023
The City of New Hope recognizes the importance of law enforcement in maintaining a safe and secure community. To honor the sacrifices police officers make, New Hope is following the nationwide campaign and proclaiming May 14-20, 2023, as National Police Week.
Police Week is an observance in the United States that pays tribute to the local, state and federal peace officers who have died or have been disabled in the line of duty. Police officers routinely face risks on behalf of the community. All too often, a police officer makes the ultimate sacrifice, the forfeiture of their life, in performing their duty to protect the community they serve. The challenges facing law enforcement professionals grow every day. Domestic and international terrorism, unheard of only a few years ago, and planning for pandemics have increased the demands on the law enforcement community.
More than 800,000 sworn law enforcement officers serve in the U.S. Being a professional law enforcement officer is an inherently risky occupation. On average, one officer was killed every other day over the past ten years. More than 60,000 officers are assaulted each year, resulting in 18,000 injuries.
On May 17, 1792, Deputy Sheriff Isaac Smith, New York City Sheriff's Office, became the first known law enforcement officer to die in the line of duty in our nation's history. Currently, there are 23,229 federal, state and local law enforcement officers' names engraved on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Memorial. At the current rate that names are added, the memorial walls are expected to be filled by 2050.
The National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum will hold ceremonies, including the 35th Annual Candlelight Vigil on May 13, to honor the fallen officers recently added to the Memorial.
New Hope extends a sincere message of appreciation to law enforcement officials across the country for their dedicated service to the safety of their respective communities and pauses to remember those who gave their lives for the protection of the public.