A ceremony held Tuesday, May 5 commemorated law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty in Oregon. The annual Oregon Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony honors the state’s fallen officers and those they left behind.
The event was held at the Oregon Public Safety Academy, site of the Oregon Law Enforcement Memorial.
The ceremony was attended by the families, loved ones and colleagues of fallen officers, elected officials, and public safety professionals from throughout the state. Paying tribute to Oregon’s fallen officers, keynote speaker Adam Palmer, assistant commissioner with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, reflected on their courage, selflessness, and enduring legacy, and spoke of the respect shared between Canadian and American officers who stand together in honoring those who gave their lives in service.
“These officers made the ultimate sacrifice while performing their sworn duty to serve and protect our communities. They provided safety to others in moments of fear, and they served with unwavering courage and dignity that defines the very best of us,” Assistant Commissioner Palmer said.
The memorial bears the names of the 199 officers who have died in the line of duty since the 1860s. This includes law enforcement, corrections, and parole and probation officers from city, county, state, tribal and federal law enforcement agencies.
“This year, we are grateful that no new names were added to the Law Enforcement Memorial wall. We do not take that for granted,” said Phil Castle, director of the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST). “Today, we honor those whose names are already here, and we hold fast to the hope that this wall will remain unchanged for many years to come.”
The ceremony is a significant event that DPSST is honored to host each year in partnership with the Oregon Law Enforcement Memorial Fund, Oregon Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.), Oregon Fallen Badge Foundation, and Oregon’s various statewide law enforcement associations.
Oregon’s memorial ceremony is held ahead of National Police Week events in Washington, D.C. so that family members and coworkers can attend both memorial ceremonies. More than 23,000 officers who have died in the line of duty are honored on the national memorial.
