Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 4034 AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: MARCH 2017 by Jaclyn Barrientes A s the sun came out for the first time in several days last May, hundreds of officers from all over the country lined a path on the National Mall. Sunlight glis- tened off their badges as each officer stood holding a single rose. They came to Washington, DC, some having registered months ahead for the honor of escorting the families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty to their seats at the annual Candlelight Vigil. On the evening of May 13, when everyone gathers for the Vigil, honor guard offi- cers wait for buses to arrive. As survivors make their way off the buses, they’re im- mediately met by an honor guard member, given a red rose, and escorted to a seat where they will watch their loved ones be memorialized in a ceremony attended by more than 30,000 people. Other honor guard of- ficers flank the Vigil site as the ceremony takes place — a tradition held since the dedication of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in October 1991. Being selected for honor guard duties for National Po- lice Week is a great honor. In addition to the Can- dlelight Vigil, some honor guards are selected to per- form duties at the Memorial Fund’s Standing Watch for the Fallen ceremony, held on May 14, where all 50 state flags are presented by honor guard personnel from their respective states. After the ceremony, shifts of honor guard teams stand watch at the center medal- lion of the Memorial with a ceremonial wreath until midnight. Officer Ray Velarde, of the Irvine (CA) Police Depart- ment, has volunteered for the honor guard duties for 16 years. He looks at it as a way to show the honored families that they stand in solidarity with them, and to thank them for their sacrifice. “Sometimes, I get lost in my thoughts as they pass because their sacrifice cre- ates a void within me too,” Officer Velarde said. “The pain reminds me that I need to carry on the fight, not only for the families of the fallen, but also to show that these officers’ sacrifice was not in vain.” This year will be exception- ally difficult for one honor guard member. On November 23, 2016, Wayne State University (MI) Police Officer Collin James Rose was shot and killed in the line of duty. Officer Rose participated in National Police Week last year with his honor guard, and even proposed to his fiancé at the Memorial. His friend and fellow officer at Wayne State, In- vestigator Chris Powell, will honor Officer Rose’s memory by par- ticipating again this year. “Collin was al- ways excited for an opportunity to honor our fallen and pay tribute to their survivors. I had signed us up earlier in the spring as I thought it would be a memo- rable experience for us to stand guard in Washington,” Investigator Powell said. “He was smiling from ear to ear. He was enjoying the high fives of support he received from fellow officers who had learned of his en- gagement proposal the day before at the Memorial.” Powell was with Officer Rose when he died. “Carrying his body from the church and to the grave site as hundreds of officers saluted was the hardest thing I have ever done. Collin and I saluted dozens of fallen of- ficers together. Seeing those officers saluting him was so humbling.” Special Honor for Police Week Honor Guards Honor guard duties have been part of National Po- lice Week events since the dedication of the Memorial, where the Candlelight Vigil used to be held before moving to the National Mall last year. Each year, more honor guard partici- pants volunteer than can be as- signed to shifts, a true testament to the popular- ity of this ser- vice. Priority is always given to members of honor guards from agencies that lost an officer the previ- ous year. On average, more than 1,500 officers participate each year. Over the years, members of honor guards have trav- eled from as far away as the United Kingdom and Germany. Participants are given a certificate for their work with the Memorial Fund during National Police Week and, most importantly, a special Memorial Fund Ci- tation Bar with ‘Police Week’ inscribed on it. This citation bar is not for sale and can only be obtained by serving honor guard du- ties during Police Week. “A lot of honor guards take a huge amount of pride in displaying their pins for as many years as they’ve been coming,” said Brian Lacey, Assistant Director of Programs at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. “I remember one officer had to basically extend his shoulder bar above his shoul- der to show all of the years he had participated.” If your department is inter- ested in participating in this year’s honor guard, more information and a signup form are available at: www. LawMemorial.org/Honor- Guard. Jaclyn Barrientes is the Com- munications and Digital Media Manager at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Visit www.LawMemo- rial.org for more information about law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. He was smiling from ear to ear. He was enjoying the high fives of support he received from fellow officers who had learned of his engagement proposal the day before at the Memorial. Wayne State University Police Officer Collin James Rose (left) IN T H E L I N E O F D U T Y