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Fallen Law Enforcement Officers to Be Honored May 13 During 21st Annual Candlelight Vigil in Washington, DC

Posted on: Tuesday, 5 May 2009, 06:59 CDT

Attorney General Holder to deliver keynote address as 387 names are dedicated on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial; event to be streamed live over the Internet for the first time

WASHINGTON, May 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The names of 387 law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty -- 133 of them during 2008 -- will be formally dedicated on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC, on the evening of May 13, during the 21st Annual Candlelight Vigil.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090112/DC57979LOGO )

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder will deliver the keynote address and lead the lighting of candles and reading of the names of the fallen officers. In addition to the 133 officers killed in the line of duty during 2008, the ceremony will honor another 254 officers who died in previous years but whose stories had previously slipped through the cracks of history.

WHAT: 21st Annual Candlelight Vigil

Includes laser light show, musical tributes and reading of 387 names being added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Live videocast through www.officer.com

WHEN: May 13, 2009 - 8 pm

Because of the large crowds at the vigil, media representatives are encouraged to arrive and check in before 4 pm. See credentialing information below.

WHERE: National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

E Street, between 4th and 5th Streets, NW

Washington, DC

WHO: U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder

NLEOMF Chairman and CEO Craig W. Floyd

Jennifer Thacker, National President, Concerns of Police Survivors

Other law enforcement leaders

Each May 13, an estimated 20,000 people pack the Memorial grounds in Judiciary Square for the Candlelight Vigil, part of the National Police Week observance. This year, for the first time, the ceremony will be videocast live over the Internet so that people across the country can witness this annual tribute to America's law enforcement officers. People interested in the videocast can register online at www.LawMemorial.org/NPW2009.

"Almost every other day in our country, a law enforcement officer loses his or her life for the safety and protection of others -- a truly remarkable record of service and sacrifice that enables our residents to live in peace and freedom," said Craig W. Floyd, chairman and CEO of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. "Coming to the Candlelight Vigil in person or viewing the ceremony over the videocast is a wonderful way for a grateful nation to show its appreciation and respect for these American heroes," he added.

Dedicated in 1991, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial honors those U.S. law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. Including the officers whose names have been added this year, there are now 18,661 names engraved on the Memorial, representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and federal law enforcement and military police agencies.

After increasing sharply in 2007, officer fatalities fell by 27 percent in 2008. The 133 officers killed in the line of duty last year was the lowest annual total since 1960, when there were 127 officer deaths. The number of officers killed by gunfire declined even more dramatically last year. The 39 officers shot and killed in 2008 represented a reduction of 43 percent from 2007 and was the lowest annual figure since 1956.

"As encouraging as the 2008 numbers were, the recent murders of four officers in Oakland and three in Pittsburgh remind us of the ongoing and unpredictable dangers that confront law enforcement in our country," said Mr. Floyd.

The names of the 387 officers being added this year to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial are online at www.nleomf.org/TheMemorial/Facts/names2009.htm.

NOTE: Media representatives planning to cover the Candlelight Vigil are asked to register for credentials in advance. Go to www.nleomf.org/NPW2009/npw_credentials_09.html for details. There will be a Media Check-In area at the Memorial on the day of the Candlelight Vigil, where reporters can pick up information and credentials. Space on the camera riser is limited, so television crews should plan to arrive and be set up by 4 pm. Parking is also limited. Contact Kevin Morison, 202-737-7134 or kevin@nleomf.org, for more information.

SOURCE National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

Source: PR Newswire

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