The names of 382 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty will be dedicated on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., during the 19th Annual Candlelight Vigil on the evening of Sunday, May 13.

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will deliver the keynote address and lead the lighting of candles and reading of names of the officers being added to the Memorial. This year's names include 145 officers who died in 2006, plus 237 from earlier years who had previously been lost to history.

The number of officers killed in the line of duty last year declined nearly 8 percent from 2005, when there were 157 officer deaths. The 2006 figure was the lowest annual total since 1999, when 143 officers were lost.

"While the number of officers killed in the line of duty has declined in recent years, the fact that one officer is killed every two-and-a-half days in our country is a sober reminder that protecting our communities and safeguarding our democracy come at a heavy price," said Craig W. Floyd, Chairman and CEO of the NLEOMF. "Our Candlelight Vigil is a unique opportunity for the law enforcement community and the nation as a whole to remember our fallen officers and show our gratitude and support for their family members and other survivors."

Including this year's officers, there are now 17,917 names engraved on the Memorial, representing officers from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, US territories, and federal law enforcement and military police agencies.

Attended by 20,000 people, the Candlelight Vigil kicks off National Police Week - a time to honor those law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty, as well as the 800,000 officers who continue to serve in federal, state and local law enforcement agencies nationwide.

WHAT: 19th Annual Candlelight Vigil
Includes laser light show, musical tributes and reading of 382 names being added to the Memorial.

WHEN: May 13, 2007 - 8 pm

WHERE: National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial
E Street, between 4th and 5th Streets, NW
Washington, D.C.

WHO: NLEOMF Chairman Craig Floyd
U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
Other law enforcement leaders
Jean Hill, National President, Concerns of Police Survivors

Dedicated in 1991 by President George H.W. Bush, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial permanently records and commemorates the service and sacrifice of America's law enforcement officers. Beginning in 2011, the Memorial will be complemented by the first-ever National Law Enforcement Museum, the largest and most comprehensive museum of its kind, providing visitors with a high-tech, experiential voyage through the past and present of law enforcement in the United States.

 

Click here for a detailed schedule of events.