Today is Peace Officer Memorial Day, first proclaimed by President John F Kennedy in 1962 and the centerpiece of National Police Week. Flags are at half-staff under proclamations by President Joe Biden and the nation’s governors.
This year, the names of 282 officers killed in the line of duty have been added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC – 118 who were killed during 2023 plus 164 who died in previous years.
Peace Officer Memorial Day ceremonies in the Panhandle are being held this morning at 11:00 on the east lawn of the Scottsbluff Public Safety Building with the Scottsbluff Police Department the host.
In a fitting action for Police Week, the U-S House yesterday passed the bipartisan Recruit and Retain Act, introduced jointly Nebraska Republican Deb Fischer and Delaware Democrat Chris Coons in the Senate and in the House by Maryland Democrat Glenn Ivey and Texas Republican Wesley Hunt.
The bill, which awaits President Biden’s signature, addresses law enforcement staffing shortages nationwide by making it easier for agencies to access federal hiring tools that can reduce hiring costs.
Fischer says it will “create local workforce pipelines to build a new generation of police,” and she sends her thanks to the many Nebraska law enforcement officers who helped design the legislation.
The bipartisan bill was endorsed by a wide range of law enforcement groups including the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, Major County Sheriffs of America, the National Association of Police Organizations, and the National Sheriff’s Association