TAMPA, FL. – In 1962, President John F. Kennedy declared May 15 as Peace Officer’s Memorial Day. The week of this date is National Police Week. This week pays special tribute to law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty.
Tonight, Mayor Jane Castor, Chief Brian Dugan, and Tampa Police family and friends will pay tribute and honor the lives of the 32 fallen officers whose names are etched for eternity on the Tampa Police Fallen Officers Monument.
On May 11, the annual Tampa Police Memorial Ceremony will be held in front of Tampa Police Headquarters and will include a 21-Gun Salute, Taps, a flyover by the Tampa Police Aviation Unit, a Riderless Horse, and Bagpipes.
The public is invited to join the men and women of the Tampa Police Department as they honor the 32 officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our community and gave their lives in the line of duty. For those who cannot attend, the ceremony will also be live-streamed at facebook.com/TampaPD
Since 1895, there have been 32 Tampa Police Officers killed in the line of duty. These honorable names shall never be forgotten. They are our history.
The story of each of these heroes can be read at tampa.gov/NeverForgotten.
On average, one police officer is killed in the line of duty every 54 hours.
During 2020 across America, 295 law enforcement officers were lost in the performance of their duties, compared with 139 police officers in 2019.
Let them never be forgotten.
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