For most Americans, September 11, 2001, is remembered as a day that changed the nation forever. As a young college student in Missouri, I didn’t have any personal ties to that day, but it affected me deeply. I can honestly say I grew up that day. I learned that evil and hate run deeper than I could have ever imagined. I also learned that the same is true of heroism and patriotism.
For the families of law enforcement officers who responded, their story did not end when the smoke cleared. Twenty-five years later, that tragedy continues to shape lives as officers who worked at ground zero succumb to cancers and other illnesses linked to their exposure during rescue, recovery and security operations.
With every one of those deaths, another family begins a journey no one ever expects to take: a journey of grief, uncertainty and learning to navigate life without someone they love.
Twenty-five years later, I’ve hugged the husbands, wives and children of people who rushed toward the towers while I watched from the safety of my living room that day. For those families, Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) is there.
Since 1984, C.O.P.S. has stood beside the surviving families and co-workers of fallen law enforcement officers, providing support, resources and hope during life’s most difficult moments. As the law enforcement profession has evolved, so too has the organization’s mission, ensuring every survivor receives compassionate care regardless of when or how their officer died.
A legacy that lives on
The sacrifices made on September 11 continue to reverberate throughout the law enforcement community. Thousands of officers answered the call to help at ground zero, working in hazardous conditions while searching for victims, securing the area and assisting with recovery efforts. Many unknowingly inhaled toxic dust and hazardous materials that would later contribute to life-threatening illnesses.
Today, those illnesses continue to claim lives.
Each time an officer dies from a certified 9/11-related illness, another spouse becomes a widow or widower. Another child loses a parent. Another family joins a community they never imagined becoming a part of.
These families may not have experienced their loss in 2001, but their grief is no less real. Their officers answered the same call to serve, and their sacrifices deserve the same recognition, honor and support.
For C.O.P.S., these families are an important reminder that the impact of service often extends far beyond the moment of an incident. The effects of duty can last for decades, creating new survivors years after the headlines have faded.
Every story is different — every survivor matters
While the continuing legacy of September 11 is unique, it reflects a broader truth about law enforcement service: there is no single path that leads a family to C.O.P.S.
Every year, C.O.P.S. welcomes families from communities across the U.S. whose officers died under vastly different circumstances.
Some officers are killed in felonious assaults while protecting their communities.
Others die in vehicle crashes, aviation accidents, training incidents or other line-of-duty accidents.
Some suffer fatal heart attacks after physically demanding emergency responses or while performing their duties.
Others are lost to suicide, a heartbreaking reality that has prompted important conversations about mental health, wellness and the extraordinary pressures faced by those in law enforcement.
Although the circumstances surrounding each death differ, the lives forever changed by those losses are remarkably similar.
Behind every badge is a family whose future changes in an instant.
A spouse who must rebuild life alone.
Children who celebrate birthdays, graduations and milestones with an empty seat where a parent should be.
Parents mourning a son or daughter.
Brothers, sisters, friends and partners struggling to understand a loss that forever alters their world.
Grief does not compare circumstances. It simply asks to be carried.
A community built on understanding
One of the greatest strengths of C.O.P.S. is its ability to connect people who truly understand one another. It’s this peer support that forms the heart of the organization.
Whether attending National Police Week, participating in survivor weekends and camps, receiving counseling resources and benefits assistance or simply talking with another survivor who has walked a similar path, survivors discover they are no longer facing grief alone.
The organization provides more than programs — it provides community.
Within that community, survivors find people who understand both the pride of loving someone who served and the heartbreak of losing them.
They find encouragement during anniversaries, comfort during difficult milestones and friendships that often last a lifetime.
Perhaps most importantly, they discover hope.
Looking forward while honoring the past
As new families continue to join C.O.P.S., including those whose officers are still dying from illnesses connected to their service at ground zero, the organization’s mission remains as vital today as it was more than four decades ago.
Every officer’s story is different.
Every family’s journey is unique.
Yet each survivor deserves the same compassion, dignity and unwavering support.
Whether an officer dies because of an act of violence, a line-of-duty accident, a heart attack, suicide or a service-related illness that develops years later, the promise made by C.O.P.S. never changes.
No survivor should have to walk alone.
As the law enforcement profession continues to evolve, so too will the needs of those left behind. C.O.P.S. will continue to meet those needs with the same commitment that has guided the organization since its beginning, honoring the lives of fallen officers by caring for the families who carry their legacy forward.
Because while the causes of loss may differ, the bond shared by survivors is universal.
And as long as there are survivors, there will be Concerns of Police Survivors. For more information, please visit
concernsofpolicesurvivors.org.
Remembering a 9/11 hero
FBI Special Agent in Charge David LeValley responded to the 9/11 attacks, where he was stationed for many weeks for search and rescue efforts. His wife, Denise, remembers him taking her to ground zero. “It was like being in the Twilight Zone. It was organized chaos. I will never forget the sights, smells and sounds from being there,” she shares. Denise and the rest of the LeValley family became part of the C.O.P.S. family on May 26, 2018, when David died as the result of cancer linked to his efforts at ground zero.
Sara Slone
As seen in the September 2026 issue of American Police Beat magazine.
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