5-10-17 fdl police memorial service

The City of Fond du Lac Police Department will be hosting its annual National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Ceremony on Thursday, May 11. The ceremony will begin at 1:00 PM and will be held at the Police/Fire Memorial at Hamilton Park (83 Forest Avenue). The ceremony is open to the public and the community is invited to help pay tribute to the more than 20,000 law enforcement officers that have been killed in the line of duty in the United States.  The ceremony will honor the service and sacrifices of the three City of Fond du Lac Police Officers and one Wisconsin State Patrol Trooper that have been shot and killed in the line of duty in the service and protection of the Fond du Lac community.   In 1962, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which May 15 falls as National Police Week. Established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1962, National Police Week pays special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others. In 2017, National Police Week will be Sunday, May 14 through Saturday, May 20; with Police Officer’s Memorial Day being Monday, May 15.
“As that special week approaches, I very humbly ask the members of our community to take some time to reflect upon and pay tribute to the more than 20,000 United States law enforcement officers that have been killed in the line of duty in the history of our nation. Each year, those law enforcement line of duty deaths impact communities all across our nation far too frequently; on average, one law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty somewhere in the United States every 60 hours. That is an absolutely staggering and tragic statistic.   As most know, that ultimate sacrifice, laying down one’s life in the protection of others, has been no stranger to our community. Three members of the City of Fond du Lac Police Department and one Wisconsin State Trooper have been killed in the line of duty – all four were shot and killed while responding to or investigating crimes in progress. In addition to those staggering line of duty death statistics, please also remember that, on average, another 58,930 law enforcement officers are assaulted each year, resulting in 15,404 injuries.  Clearly, the men and women who very proudly serve as law enforcement officers all across this great nation sacrifice and risk a great deal in doing so, as do their families.  Our community has had two very recent and grim reminders of just how great that sacrifice can be.”
– Chief Bill Lamb, City of Fond du Lac Police Department