[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 54 (Thursday, April 28, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S4538]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SLAIN IN THE LINE OF DUTY

  Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I am proud to be an original cosponsor of 
a resolution currently before the Senate commemorating law enforcement 
officers slain in the line of duty. Every day, men and women all across 
our nation put their lives on the line to protect our citizens, our 
families, and our communities. Having served as Attorney General for 
the State of Colorado, I know first hand how dedicated our law 
enforcement professionals are, and I strongly believe that one of our 
Government's most important priorities is supporting these men and 
women--not only by providing them with the resources they need to get 
the job done, but by publicly recognizing the truly unparalleled work 
they do each and every day.
  While we frequently commend law enforcement officers for their 
willingness to put their lives on the line for the safety and security 
of our citizens, and while we are right to do so, it is still 
unfathomable when one of these men and women does make the ultimate 
sacrifice. It is unfathomable that those who volunteer for such noble 
work, as well as the families who support them, should pay such a 
price.
  Next week, I will be attending a law enforcement memorial event in 
Colorado. Like the resolution my colleagues and I are submitting today, 
this annual event commemorates those law enforcement officers slain in 
the line of duty. This year, we will remember the lives and work of two 
Colorado law enforcement officers killed in the past year: Deputy 
Travis Sass of the Larimer County Sheriff's Office, and Deputy William 
Truesdale of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
  In memorializing Deputy Sass, Deputy Truesdale, and others like them 
across the country, we should remember them not for the tragic way they 
died, but for the noble way they lived--risking their own lives to 
protect others. That is why the resolution my colleagues and I are 
submitting today is so important. As difficult as it is to accept that 
their lives have been lost, it is imperative that we always remember 
the contributions they made, and that our dedicated men and women in 
law enforcement continue to make each and every day.

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