The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, the foremost organization that memorializes law enforcement heroes who die in the line of duty, honors fallen peace officers by permanently recording and commemorating their service and sacrifice onto the sacred walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1984, the purpose of the organization is dedicated to honoring the fallen, telling the story of American law enforcement and making it safer for those who serve.  

Now in its 40th year of existence, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund was authorized by Congress in 1984, allowing private donations to be collected to begin the process of designing and building the Memorial. Dedicated on October 30, 1989, the Memorial honors federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement officers who make the ultimate sacrifice for the safety and protection of our nation and its people. 

Set against the backdrop of the Memorial’s beautifully landscaped park are the two tree-lined “pathways of remembrance” that border the east and west sides of the Memorial. Each of the pathway entrances is adorned with a powerful statuary grouping of an adult lion protecting its cubs. Sculpted by Raymond Kaskey, the bronze statues symbolize the protective role of law enforcement officers and convey the strength, courage and valor that are hallmarks of those who serve and protect.

The ever-changing walls of the Memorial, currently marked with the names of over 24,000 men and women who have died in the line of duty, give each their own rightful place of rest. The Memorial’s beauty and tranquility make it a special place for reflection, contemplation or just a quiet moment away from everything. 

As an organization, the Memorial Fund strives to ensure that every name engraved on the Memorial is thoroughly vetted and authenticated to maintain its integrity for perpetuity.

The sacred 12-month process of determining the names of the brave men and women who will be added to the walls of our Memorial begins at the dawn of each new year. Then, the solemn task of engraving new names onto the Memorial occurs each April. Those names are then formally dedicated during the Annual Candlelight Vigil, held every May 13 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Police Week observance.

This year, the names of 282 individuals will be meticulously added to the Memorial — their names permanently etched, a testament to their enduring legacies. Of those names, 118 are fallen officers who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2023. The additional 164 officers died in previous years, their sacrifice now being recognized after the Memorial Fund’s research staff confirmed the circumstances of their deaths and their record of law enforcement service.

Memorial expansion

When the Memorial was unveiled initially, the belief was that there would be enough space to engrave names on the Memorial until the year 2100. Yet, because there are now more than 24,000 names on the Memorial, far exceeding original estimates, this year, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund added to what is the final line of the original section of the Memorial walls. Some of the names from this year are now part of the new portion of the Memorial walls that was completed in 2021. This much-needed expansion project, adding 18 inches of new granite marble on top of the existing walls, fit seamlessly into the existing and sacred fabric of the 33-year-old structure. The expansion allows for approximately 12,000 more names to be added, which is projected to take the Memorial to full capacity by the year 2050. 

The gathering process

How does this process happen and what goes into determining how an individual meets the criteria for inclusion? It’s a constant process, which leads to stories of the bravery and selflessness of individuals who may never have had the chance to be widely honored, and who ultimately find their rightful place on the Memorial. 

The process involves the thoughtful and sensitive year-round work being done by both the Memorial Fund’s professional research team and volunteer names committee, who each go to great lengths to unearth these stories and preserve the memories of the individuals who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

These stories of bravery and service can come from anywhere, be it a family member researching their genealogic history, a police department or federal agency, or even the everyday person looking to provide information about cases they have uncovered — all of which help the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund be as effective as possible as the definitive leader in line-of-duty-death research and provider of the proper and final honor for these individuals.

Three such officers are examples of the 282 brave souls being added to the Memorial this year and how such stories are brought to us: 

• Isaac Henry Simmons, a patrolman for the Southwest Mounted Police in Florida, was brought to the Memorial team directly from the agency nearly 100 years after his end of watch occurred. On January 19, 1930, after just five months on the job, Patrolman Simmons sustained injuries in a single-vehicle crash while in pursuit of a speeding motorist. Simmons was transported to the hospital, where he died four days later.
• Deputy William D. Hildreth’s case came directly from the U.S. Marshals Service and its historian David Turk, who each year puts together research on the agency’s behalf, which proves to be a fantastic resource for the Memorial team. On May 22, 1874, Deputy Hildreth was shot in an exchange of gunfire as he attempted to serve a warrant on a KKK suspect for arson in Coffee County, Tennessee. He succumbed to his injuries three days later.  
• George W. Swank, who was part of a deputized posse organized by the sheriff in Nueces County, Texas, in 1875, was fatally shot after attempting to arrest a gang of bandits who were raiding cattle. This case was brought to the Memorial Fund by longtime organization collaborator Ron DeLord. DeLord is an attorney by profession, but he researches cases in Texas for inclusion in the Texas Peace Officers Memorial.

The standard practice for the annual engraving is to add all names approved from January through December the following spring, usually in April. Sadly, though line-of-duty deaths occur in the months of January, February and March of that new year, the names of those officers would be considered for inclusion the following calendar year. 

September 11, 2001

Each year, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund remembers the lives lost on September 11, 2001, including first responders who so bravely and without fear risked their lives to save others. The aftermath of that horrific day still has a rippling effect in present time as each January, the New York City Police Department sends the Memorial research team the list of newly fallen officers who succumbed to 9/11-related injury or illness, either from responding to some part of the terror attacks in New York City or through recovery efforts, which involved breathing in any number of carcinogens, leading to serious health issues, including 9/11-related cancers. Unfortunately, 73 of the 282 law enforcement officers being added to the Memorial this year died as a result of their service on that day. The total number of 9/11 heroes on the Memorial will now total 535. 

Timing and accuracy

The criteria for inclusion on the Memorial walls are extensive. The research team receives documents that are submitted via an officer data form that is carefully reviewed and forwarded to a committee of the Memorial Fund Board of Directors, referred to as the Names Committee. This group thoroughly reviews each case to determine whether the circumstances of the death meet the criteria for inclusion on the Memorial.

Once cases have been approved by the Names Committee, the Memorial Fund research staff contacts the agencies where the officers worked for confirmation and follow-up. The team also diligently works with the Memorial’s dedicated engravers to align the names on the Memorial and schedule the engraving, usually two to three weeks prior to National Police Week.

Before that engraving begins, the collective effort puts the list of names through a series of reviews from numerous teams to ensure accuracy. For example, this year, the team went through each of the 282 names to ensure they are present and correctly spelled. From there, the information is shared with a data analytics organization, which uses a purpose-built program to ensure that each name fits exactly as it should, line by line, on the wall. 

Engraving

The next phase takes that data and sends it off for the creation of a digital proof of all names that are set to be engraved. This proof is sent back to the research team to again confirm all names are present and spelled correctly. It then goes back to the print shop, where life-sized versions of each name are created on heavy-duty cardboard stock paper. Each of those strips of paper is meticulously cut and taped to the walls of the Memorial by the team and placed in the exact location where they are set to be engraved. To make sure all names and their placement are final, the proof goes back to the print shop one final time for any additional name changes or wall adjustments before that proof is sent to the engraving team at Rugo Stone, LLC in Lorton, Virginia, where they create a rubberized template used to engrave each name on the walls of the Memorial. 

Finally, Rugo Stone glues each name template to the wall, sandblasting their way through to create the names that will forever hold their place on the Memorial.  

The engravers start at the panel where the final name was engraved the previous year. The adhesive stencil of names is laid onto the panel to ensure engravings will be made at the proper distance. The stencil is then surrounded by protective materials and sandblasted from multiple angles to create each individual letter until an entire line of names is complete. The process repeats until all names are fully engraved, which in some years, can take up to 10 days to complete.

The reading of the names

Each May 13, during the Candlelight Vigil at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the newly engraved names are read aloud and formally honored, witnessed by crowds of more than 30,000 members of the law enforcement community and the public. 

The next time you visit the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, stop to take a moment to reflect on some of the names you see, the valor they exhibited as law enforcement officers and the ultimate sacrifice given to protect our communities and the people they served. 

Learn more about the 24,067 officers killed in the line of duty

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund website, NLEOMF.com, includes more information about the process of honoring the fallen and hosts a robust officer search platform where you can learn more about the incredible stories of fallen officers. You can also search through best practices in officer safety and wellness, and purchase tickets to the National Law Enforcement Museum, which is directly across the street from the Memorial. The Memorial is open 24/7, 365 days a year. General admission for the Museum is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, with special extended schedules during National Police Week.