[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 92 (Wednesday, May 13, 2015)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 27239-27240]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-11680]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 92 / Wednesday, May 13, 2015 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 27239]]


                Proclamation 9277 of May 8, 2015

                
Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week, 2015

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Each May, our Nation salutes the American women and men 
                who put their lives on the line every day to maintain 
                public safety and hold accountable those who break the 
                law. On Peace Officers Memorial Day and during Police 
                Week, we recognize all those who have dedicated their 
                lives to this vital task. With heavy hearts, we mourn 
                the heroes taken from us only because they chose to 
                serve, and we rededicate ourselves to carrying forward 
                their noble legacy.

                Our law enforcement officers have extraordinarily tough 
                jobs. They regularly work in dangerous environments and 
                in difficult, high-tension situations. And they often 
                face challenges deeply rooted in systemic problems and 
                broader social issues. These professionals serve to 
                protect their communities and strengthen their Nation, 
                and they deserve to go home safely to their loved ones 
                at the end of each shift. As President, I am committed 
                to making sure America's dedicated police officers 
                receive the support and recognition they have earned, 
                and to doing all I can to protect those who protect us.

                One important way to make policing safer and more 
                effective is by continuing to enhance relations and 
                trust between law enforcement and the neighborhoods 
                they serve. This will make it easier and safer for 
                police officers to do their jobs, and it will 
                strengthen the places we live and work. This important 
                task will require our Nation--our communities, our law 
                enforcement, and our leaders at every level--to come 
                together to commit to meeting this challenge and moving 
                our country forward, block by block and neighborhood by 
                neighborhood. As President, I firmly believe it is 
                within our power to make progress in our time, and I am 
                dedicated to partnering with all those who are willing 
                to do this necessary work.

                My Administration is taking concrete steps to implement 
                the commonsense, pragmatic recommendations my Task 
                Force on 21st Century Policing put forward based on 
                input from law enforcement personnel as well as 
                criminal justice experts, community leaders, and civil 
                liberties advocates. And we are engaging with local 
                jurisdictions so they can begin to make the changes 
                that will help ensure that police officers and their 
                communities are partners in battling crime and that 
                everyone feels safe on and off the job.

                Our Nation's police officers are mentors in our 
                schools, familiar faces on the corner, and pillars of 
                our communities. They keep our borders secure and our 
                roads safe, and in times of crisis, they rush toward 
                tragedy. They are hardworking mothers, fathers, 
                daughters, and sons who have dedicated their lives to 
                public service, working every day to build a brighter 
                future for their families and their Nation. Their 
                selfless commitment and daily sacrifice represent what 
                is possible for every city, town, and reservation in 
                America, and our country has an enormous opportunity to 
                lift up the very best law enforcement personnel as 
                examples--not just to other officers, but to all who 
                aspire to lives of good citizenship. This week and 
                every week, let us remember the patriots who laid down 
                their lives for ours and honor all who strive to make 
                our Nation more safe, more free, and more just.

[[Page 27240]]

                By a joint resolution approved October 1, 1962, as 
                amended (76 Stat. 676), and by Public Law 103-322, as 
                amended (36 U.S.C. 136-137), the President has been 
                authorized and requested to designate May 15 of each 
                year as ``Peace Officers Memorial Day'' and the week in 
                which it falls as ``Police Week.''

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 15, 
                2015, as Peace Officers Memorial Day and May 10 through 
                May 16, 2015, as Police Week. I call upon all Americans 
                to observe these events with appropriate ceremonies and 
                activities. I also call on the Governors of the United 
                States and its Territories, and appropriate officials 
                of all units of government, to direct that the flag be 
                flown at half-staff on Peace Officers Memorial Day. I 
                further encourage all Americans to display the flag at 
                half-staff from their homes and businesses on that day.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand 
                fifteen, and of the Independence of the United States 
                of America the two hundred and thirty-ninth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2015-11680
Filed 5-12-15; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F5