[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 60 (Wednesday, May 13, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E852]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          NATIONAL POLICE WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM RAMSTAD

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 13, 1998

  Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, the events of National Police Week 
officially begin tonight with the 10th Annual Candlelight Vigil on the 
grounds of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.
  Tonight the names of 305 American heroes will be added to the 
Memorial's wall, which honors officers killed in the line of duty. 160 
of these officers were killed in 1997, and the others died in previous 
years but have just recently been discovered.
  The 160 police heroes killed last year represent an increase of 21% 
over the 132 officers who were killed in 1996. This is particularly 
disturbing in light of the recent overall decreases in the violent 
crime rate.
  Another disturbing trend last year was the high number of alcohol-
related deaths of law enforcement officers. Alcohol was a factor in at 
least 19 of last year's police fatalities, including killings by drunk 
drivers and shootings by individuals who had been drinking.
  My home state of Minnesota lost one of its finest last year--a state 
trooper named Tim Bowe who had served as a protector for Governor Arne 
Carlson. Corporal Bowe was a 14-year veteran of the force who had 9 
commendations and three life-saving awards, including two revivals of 
heart attack victims with CPR.
  At nearly midnight on June 7, 1997, Corporal Bowe was about to finish 
his shift when he responded to a request for help from three Chisago 
County Sheriff's deputies. He and the deputies at the scene of a 
reported shooting had just begun approaching a nearby car when an 
assailant fired and shot Corporal Bowe in the chin. He died from the 
wound shortly afterward, leaving behind his beloved wife, Denise, a 6-
year-old daughter and a 9-and-a-half-month-old son.
  As someone who has many close friends serving in law enforcement, as 
someone who has logged 1,600 hours riding with police during the ``dog 
watch'' and power shift, and as one who has accompanied high risk entry 
teams on 65 crack raids, I am well aware of the risks that officers 
like Corporal Bowe face each day they put on the badge. My home state 
of Minnesota has lost a total of 185 peace officers, and America has 
lost over 14,622 since the first recorded death in 1794.
  The names of slain officers are inscribed on the wall of the National 
Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, located just blocks from this 
Capitol. I encourage every visitor to our nation's capital to visit 
this meaningful reminder of the men and women who paid the ultimate 
price to protect our communities.
  As of co-chair of the House Law Enforcement Caucus with my colleague, 
Bart Stupak from Michigan, I have been working in a bipartisan way to 
promote legislation that honors these fallen heroes. We have had some 
success.
  In last year's Taxpayer Relief Act, I worked with other colleagues to 
include a provision that makes the survivor benefits for families of 
public safety officers killed in the line of duty tax-free. Very 
recently, the House passed the Higher Education Act reauthorization 
with an amendment to provide scholarships to families of slain 
officers. Just yesterday, the House passed a resolution honoring law 
enforcement officers and a bill which will provide life-savings 
bulletproof vests to police departments.
  Much more needs to be done. I encourage my colleagues who are not 
already part of the 71-member bipartisan Law Enforcement Caucus to 
join. We are holding a meeting tomorrow, in Room 1640 of the Longworth 
Building, to review our accomplishments and discuss legislative 
initiatives. I hope all interested members and staff will participate 
in this important dialogue.
  We need to honor the fallen, and we need to empower the living who 
protect our communities. The thousands of officers who put their lives 
on the line every day are the reasons we observe Police Week and 
commemorate Peace Officers Memorial Day each year on May 15.

                          ____________________