[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 68 (Friday, May 14, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5497-S5498]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          NATIONAL POLICE WEEK

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, this week our Nation's police officers 
gathered in Washington, DC to commemorate National Police Week. The 
week long tribute to our Nation's Federal, State, and local police 
officers honors those who have died in the line of duty and those who 
continue to serve and protect us at great personal risk everyday.
  The first National Police Week was celebrated in 1962 when President 
John F. Kennedy signed an Executive Order designating May 15 as Peace 
Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as ``Police 
Week.'' Every year since, tens of thousands of Federal, State and local 
police officers have come to Washington to honor those that have made 
the ultimate sacrifice.
  In addition to a number of other events, police officers join for a 
candle light vigil at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. 
The first memorial service took place on May 15, 1982. On that date, 
approximately 125 police officers assembled in the Senate park to honor 
the law enforcement officers who had been killed that year. Over the 
past 22 years, over 3,000 law enforcement officers from around the 
country have been so honored.
  Today, there are approximately 870,000 sworn law enforcement officers 
serving in the United States. Over the past 10 years, a total of 1,658 
law enforcement officers have died in the line of duty, of which 145 
were killed in 2003. Over the course of this week, all 145 of these 
officers have been honored and tonight their names will be added to 
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.
  One way we can further honor the sacrifices of these brave men and 
women is to pass sensible gun safety legislation. A number of my 
colleagues, with my support, have sought to do just that. That is why I 
cosponsored the Gun Show Background Check Act introduced by Senator 
Reed. I support that bill because I believe it is an important tool to 
help to prevent guns from getting into the hands of criminals. This 
bill simply applies existing law governing background checks to persons 
buying guns at gun shows. It is supported by a variety of law 
enforcement organizations including the International Association of 
Chiefs of Police, Major Cities Chiefs of Police, National Black Police 
Association, Police Foundation and National Troopers Coalition.
  The law enforcement community has also asked Congress to reauthorize 
the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban. The 1994 law banned a list of 19 specific 
weapons, as well as a number of other weapons incorporating certain 
design characteristics such as pistol grips, folding stocks, bayonet 
mounts, and flash suppressors. The assault weapons ban also prohibited 
the manufacture of semiautomatic weapons that incorporate at least two 
of these military features and which accept a detachable magazine. This 
law is scheduled to expire on September 13, 2004.
  I support the efforts of the law enforcement community who are 
calling for legislation extending the law. In 1994, I voted for the 
assault weapons ban and, last month, I joined a bipartisan majority of 
the Senate in voting

[[Page S5498]]

to extend the assault weapons ban for 10 years.
  Law enforcement support for the assault weapons ban is broad. It 
includes the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Major 
Cities Chiefs Association, the Police Foundation, the Police Executive 
Research Forum, the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, the 
National Association of School Resource Officers, the National 
Fraternal Order of Police, National Organization of Black Law 
Enforcement Executives, the Hispanic American Police Command Officers 
Association, and the National Black Police Association. I hope the 
Senate will stand with our Nation's law enforcement community and 
support these important pieces of gun safety legislation.
  I know all of my colleagues join me in remembering those who have 
served and continue to serve in our Nation's law enforcement community 
and thanking them for their sacrifices.
  (At the request of Mr. Daschle, the following statement was ordered 
to be printed in the Record.)

   Mr. SARBANES. This week, beginning May 9th, we celebrate 
National Police Week, culminating in Peace Officers' Memorial Day on 
May 15th. It is a time for us to remember the dedicated men and women 
who put their lives on the line every day to make our communities 
safer.
  In 1962, President John F. Kennedy designated May 15th as Peace 
Officers' Memorial Day, and the week in which May 15th falls as 
National Police Week. During this week, tens of thousands of law 
enforcement officers from around the world converge on Washington, DC 
to participate in activities highlighting the importance of law 
enforcement to citizens' daily lives.
  This past year, 154 police officers were killed in the line of duty. 
That is 154 fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, daughters, and sons 
who did not go home to the families waiting for them at the end of the 
workday. Since the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund 
started keeping such statistics, 16,500 police officers have been 
killed in the line of duty. In my home State of Maryland, we have lost 
a total of 246 police officers. On average, one law enforcement officer 
is killed somewhere in America every 53 hours. The risk encountered by 
those law enforcement officers serving in communities throughout this 
country--men and women who get up every morning to go to work knowing 
it is entirely possible they will not come home at the end of the day--
is enormous. Such commitment deserves more than one week to appreciate.
  We spend a lot of time, especially in this day and age, as we should, 
worrying about and praying for the nearly 150,000 young men and women 
serving in our armed services in Iraq and Afghanistan. At the same 
time, I believe it is important to reflect on the 870,000 men and women 
serving in law enforcement who protect our homeland day in and day out. 
These are the police officers who ensure that our children get to 
school safely, that our roads are safe from the dangers of speeding or 
drunk drivers, that ensure our neighborhoods are protected from the 
violence associated with gangs and drugs, and that come to our aid when 
tragedy strikes.
  I want to make mention of a few poignant examples of the risk that 
those involved in this profession face every day. Maryland State Police 
Trooper First-Class Anthony Jones was killed last week when a drunk 
driver struck him while he was fulfilling his duty seeking to help 
another trooper respond to a car accident. Trooper Jones left behind a 
wife and two daughters.
  Then there is Detective Thomas Newman of the Baltimore City Police 
Department who was shot to death in 2002 in retaliation for his 
testifying against a man who had shot another police officer in 2001. 
Detective Newman was ambushed by three assailants who continued to fire 
at him even after he fell to the ground.
  Also deserving of our thoughts and prayers this week are the families 
of Prince George's County Sheriffs Deputies Elizabeth Magruder and 
James Arnaud. The two were shot and killed while serving a court order 
for an emergency psychiatric evaluation on a man in Prince George's 
County. Magruder left behind a husband and four-year-old son while 
Arnaud left behind a wife, son, daughter and grandchildren.
  These are just a few examples of the brave men and women who put 
their lives on the line so that all of us can sleep more soundly at 
night. The sacrifices they and their families have made are too 
numerous to count and to deep for words to express. But at least during 
this National Police Week, we are able to take a moment to appreciate 
their efforts and the efforts of their colleagues that are still 
serving. As St. John said, ``No one has greater love than this, to lay 
down one's life for one's friends.''

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