[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 80 (Tuesday, May 14, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S2802]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          National Police Week

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, this week we observe National Police 
Week, which is an annual gathering of tens of thousands of law 
enforcement personnel right here in our Nation's Capital. America will 
pay special tribute tomorrow to the service and sacrifice of our fallen 
officers as we mark Peace Officers Memorial Day.
  Officers from all around the country will join together to honor 
their brothers and sisters in uniform who have made the ultimate 
sacrifice, and the rest of the Nation will remember how blessed we are 
by the selfless sacrifices of this ``thin blue line'' that protects our 
families and keeps our communities safe.
  I extend a warm welcome to the many Kentuckians who have traveled 
here this week, and along with them, I am thinking especially of four 
of their comrades whose names will be added to the National Law 
Enforcement Officers Memorial this year: Hickman police officer Rodney 
Smith, whose patrol car was washed into a field while he was checking 
on members of his community during a flood; Patrolman Scotty Hamilton, 
of the Parkville Police Department, who was murdered while he was 
investigating a suspicious vehicle for narcotics activity; Hopkinsville 
police officer Phillip Meacham, who was shot and killed while off duty 
as he assisted a fellow officer; and Louisville Metro Police Department 
detective Deidre Mengedoht, who was struck and killed while conducting 
a traffic stop on Christmas Eve.
  With more than three decades of combined service, these heroic 
Kentuckians left behind spouses, children, and an entire Commonwealth 
that mourns their tragic losses. It is my honor to have represented 
them in the Senate and to represent all those who wear the uniform. It 
was an honor to proudly cosponsor the resolution designating this as 
National Police Week.
  I also pause to recognize the U.S. Capitol Police, whose officers 
protect all of us in this building every day. Their professionalism and 
dedicated service make our democracy possible and allow millions of 
visitors to observe their government up close each year.