On Thursday, May 5th, members of local law enforcement agencies gathered at the Peace Officers Memorial in the southwest portion of Courthouse Park.
The ceremony was in honor, observance and memory of in the line of duty deaths from all law enforcement agencies within Fresno County.
In the United States, Peace Officers’ Memorial Day is observed on May 15th to pay tribute to local, state and federal law enforcement officers. The week in which the day falls is known as National Police Week. President John F. Kennedy made the proclamation when he signed a bill into law on October 1st, 1962. Much of the holiday centers on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C. The walls feature the names of the more than 20,000 law enforcement officers who have been killed in the line of duty throughout U.S. history, dating back to 1791.
In 1997, the Fresno County Peace Officers’ Memorial Foundation (FCPOMF) began their planning to honor those City, County, State and Federal Peace Officers who gave their lives while performing their duties in Fresno County. The names on the memorial date back to 1889. To date, the names of 59 men and women have been etched into the granite face of the Fresno County Peace Officers Memorial.
During National Police Week, the public will notice many law enforcement officers wearing black bands over their badges to honor those who died while serving their respective communities.
