[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 81 (Thursday, May 12, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S2488]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          NATIONAL POLICE WEEK

  Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, this week, our Nation observes National 
Police Week, a time when we pay tribute to our brave law enforcement 
officers and honor those who died in the line of duty.
  Over the course of this week, Americans will come together to pay 
tribute to the 619 officers who gave their lives in the line of duty 
last year. Among them, six brave officers from Kansas will be 
memorialized on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in 
Washington, DC.
  Thousands travel to our Nation's Capital to honor those who have paid 
the ultimate sacrifice during this ceremony, and back home, Kansans 
will gather to honor the men and women who put on a uniform each day to 
protect the communities we call home.
  One officer Kansans will gather to pay tribute to next week is 
Captain Clay Germany of the Wichita Police Department. Captain Germany 
was a U.S. Navy veteran and started his law enforcement career serving 
with the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office and the Midwest City Police 
Department. He then dedicated 27 years to serving with the Wichita 
Police Department and, throughout his time, served as police officer, 
detective, sergeant, lieutenant, and captain.
  Captain Germany earned a reputation for being a trusted leader and 
mentor within the community and in the department, always willing to 
lend a helping hand. On behalf of Kansas, I want to express my 
gratitude for his service. Captain Germany's dedication helped make 
Wichita a better and safer community.
  I also want to recognize Wichita Police Department Officer Kyle 
Mellard, who was shot when responding to a welfare check in June of 
last year. After fighting for his life, Officer Mellard is able to walk 
again, a recovery that his fellow officers call a miracle. Despite his 
severe injuries, when talking about his recovery, Officer Mellard made 
his goal clear: to get back to work as an officer as soon as possible.
  All too often, we forget about the many important roles that our 
police officers have within our communities. This extends beyond 
relationships between police officers and individual residents. It is 
about the relationships between law enforcement and key institutions in 
our communities, such as churches, hospitals, schools, and businesses.
  During Police Week, we honor those we have lost, but we also remember 
the families they left behind. May God comfort them in their time of 
grief and be a source of strength for them.
  May God bless our law enforcement officers and protect them from harm 
as they faithfully perform their duties each and every day.

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