U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania issued the following announcement on May 10.
In honor of National Police Week, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman joins U.S. Attorneys across the nation in recognizing the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement. This year, the week was observed Sunday, May 9 through Saturday, May 15, 2021.
"This week was a time to honor our law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation," said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. "I am constantly inspired by the extraordinary courage and dedication with which members of law enforcement act each day, putting their lives on the line to make our communities safer. To members of law enforcement and your families: we know that not a single day, nor a single week, is enough to recognize your service and sacrifice. On behalf of the entire Department of Justice, you have our unwavering support and eternal gratitude."
"National Police Week provides an opportunity to highlight the hard work, dedication, courage and commitment of law enforcement to keep western Pennsylvanians safe," said Acting U.S. Attorney Kaufman. "Throughout the week, we will also be focusing on the many ways that our police officers serve the community, including by building positive relationships with children through day camps, backpack distributions, and many other like activities."
During Police Week 2021, Acting U.S. Attorney Kaufman will visit with officers in Allegheny, Cambria, Erie, Lawrence, and Washington Counties to thank these courageous public servants for the exceptional work they are doing. In addition, he will visit California, Pa., to recognize a fallen police chief who died unexpectedly while on duty in February 2021.
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
Each year, during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty, and commitment to keeping our communities safe. This year the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted law enforcement officers’ courage and unwavering devotion to the communities that they have sworn to serve.
During the Roll Call of Heroes, a ceremony coordinated by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), more than 300 officers will be honored. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), of the law enforcement officers who died nationwide in the line of duty in 2020, nearly 60 percent succumbed to COVID-19.
Additionally, according to statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 46 law enforcement officers died as a result of felonious acts and 47 died in accidents in 2020. LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website.
The names of the 394 fallen officers who have been added in 2020 to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Thursday, May 13, 2021, during a Virtual Candlelight Vigil, which will be livestreamed to the public at 8:00 PM EDT. The Police Week in-person public events, originally scheduled for May, have been rescheduled due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns to October 13-17, 2021. An in-person Candlelight Vigil event is scheduled for October 14, 2021.
Original source can be found here.