[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 4 (Monday, January 8, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H7]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DAY
(Mr. PAULSEN asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, January 9, is National Law
Enforcement Appreciation Day. It is a time to celebrate everything that
our law enforcement men and women do for our communities. While it is
important to appreciate their courage and bravery, it is also a time to
honor them and thank them for their service.
Every single day, police officers go to work not knowing what dangers
may lie ahead of them while on the job. They put their lives on the
line with a mission to both serve and protect. By the way, these law
enforcement personnel are our friends, our neighbors, and even family
members.
Last year, 128 police officers lost their lives defending the thin
blue line. One of them was Officer Bill Mathews of Wayzata, Minnesota.
He was certainly well known and part of the fabric of the community. He
is missed not only by a loving family--his wife, Shawn, and son,
Wyatt--but also by those he worked with and the residents he served
while on patrol in neighborhoods.
Mr. Speaker, those who serve in law enforcement will often say it is
a calling, and we honor that calling of service on National Law
Enforcement Appreciation Day.
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