The Kansas City
Missouri Police Department will honor its 119 officers killed in the line of
duty throughout the department’s history with a Memorial Service beginning at
10 a.m. Thursday, May 23. Due to renovations at Headquarters, this year’s
service will be at a new venue, Kansas City Regional Police Academy’s Sports
Field located at 6885 NE Pleasant Valley Rd., Kansas City, MO. We may be in a different place, with a newer and
different look, on this year’s day of remembrance, but the sacrifices of those
who died serving our community are with us everywhere.
The service will include an honor guard, a
21-gun salute, the KCPD Color Guard, bagpipers, a flyover by the police
helicopter, and a riderless horse. Supervisor L.C. Clark will read the names of
all KCPD officers killed in the line of duty – the first in 1881 and the last
in 2001. There will be 119 flags on display representing each one of these
officers. For 119 hours preceding the service, dispatchers read one officer’s
name per hour over the police radio system. The last officer’s name, Craig
Schultz, will be read immediately before the ceremony begins Thursday.
In the event of rain, the ceremony will take
place inside the gymnasium of the Academy.
I encourage everyone to attend the ceremony and for all to keep in mind
the sacrifices our officers make to keep our community safe. Their commitment to excellence is our
community’s benefit.
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