National Police Week. A week dedicated to honoring our nation’s fallen law enforcement heroes. A week for members of the law enforcement family to come together and mourn the losses of brothers and sisters in blue but also to rally together and support each other. A time for the surviving family members and co-workers to travel to Washington, D.C., to honor the sacrifice of their loved one.

There are several organizations that plan the major events. The National Police Week 5K from the Officer Down Memorial Page; the incredible candlelight vigil organized by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund; the National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service organized by the National Fraternal Order of Police and Auxiliary; and the National Police Survivors’ Conference hosted by Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.).

Of the main events, only two are nationally televised. If you aren’t a survivor or an agency that has lost an officer in the past, you may be unfamiliar with the C.O.P.S. Survivors’ Conference. When people discuss National Police Week, they focus on the timeframe of the “week.” But the conference is where magic happens for the survivors to carry with them for well beyond the week.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of C.O.P.S. It was 41 years ago that 10 surviving spouses were in the hospitality room of the Fraternal Order of Police on the evening before the 1983 Peace Officers’ Memorial Service. They showed their true emotions and tremendous grief for the loss of their husbands. As they were ushered to a more private location, the ladies spent hours talking to each other. It was the first time they had other people who knew exactly what they were going through. The idea of C.O.P.S. was born that night and came to fruition exactly one year later, in 1984.

What happened in that room was simply the magic of peer support, which is the heart of the entire C.O.P.S. organization. It’s a mother being with another mother who knows the gut-wrenching loss of losing a child, regardless of their age. It’s a child meeting another child who also lost their mom or dad when nobody at their school can comprehend the loss of a parent. And it’s co-workers connecting with other co-workers from other agencies and feeling safe for the first time to talk about their true feelings. It’s magic, although bittersweet magic.

These introductions happen during the National Police Survivors’ Conference on May 14 and May 16 each year during National Police Week. Each official event of National Police Week plays an integral part of honoring our nation’s fallen heroes. What makes the conference different is the focus on survivors and providing the tools to help prepare them to heal, succeed and thrive for well into the future.

So, if you are an agency that has lost an officer and will be traveling out to Washington, D.C., this year or in future years, please communicate the importance of attending the Survivors’ Conference to your surviving families and fellow co-workers. There are two vital promises made to survivors after a line-of-duty death: Their officer will never be forgotten, and they will never walk this path of grief and healing alone. Those promises are made and kept through C.O.P.S.

For more information on the programs, services, training and benefits provided through C.O.P.S., please visit concernsofpolicesurvivors.org.