Honoring the Men and Women in Blue

The men and women in blue uniforms risk everything—including their lives—to keep us safe.

By Alfonso E. Lenhardt, President and CEO

Law enforcement officers are essential to crime prevention. They are the men and women who keep the streets safe so that community leaders can organize their neighbors; the instructors who teach citizens of all ages about personal safety, cyberbullying, telemarketing fraud, identity theft, and any number of other threats; and the mentors who steer young people down the right path, the heroes that our children look up to.

And they are more. Our officers put their lives on the line every day. They put themselves at risk to ensure that we can be safe. They are willing to shed their blood—if they have to—to keep our communities at peace and our neighbors protected. They don’t ask for much in return, and they don’t always get what they do ask for. Respect doesn’t always come with the job, and pay, especially in these difficult times, can be low. At a time when budgets are constrained because tax revenue has dropped, job security isn’t guaranteed.

In 2008, 140 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty. While this figure is disturbing when considering the growing firepower of the criminals on our streets today, it is one of the lowest figures since the 1950s. Altogether, 16,000 names of fallen law enforcement officers are inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Memorial Wall here in Washington, DC.

Recently, the country celebrated National Police Week with candlelight vigils, parades, memorial services, and, in Washington, a national conference for law enforcement officers.

I was privileged to attend the 15^th Annual Blue Mass, an annual service held at a historic Washington church where dignitaries and law enforcement leaders pray for those in law enforcement and fire safety, remember those who have fallen, and pledge to support those whose work goes on. It was a stirring occasion. Outside, bagpipers and officers on horseback formed a ceremonial cordon around the church; inside, Washington Police Chief Cathy Lanier; U.S. Capitol Police Chief Terry Gainer; the leaders of U.S. Department of Justice agencies and other federal, state, and local justice leaders; and senior law enforcement officers from across the country gathered in a service led by Washington Archbishop Donald Wuerl to honor the men and women who had sacrificed their lives to keep others safe.

In crime prevention, we work with these honorable and brave men and women in blue who know the first line of defense against crime is to prevent it before it happens. And, we can help them by practicing the adage that preventing crime is everyone’s business. We must all be involved and work to help keep our communities safe.

We should all extend a word of special thanks next time we see or work with a law enforcement officer. Theirs is a tough job that requires great intelligence and courage, and they do that job extraordinarily well.