Today (Sunday) marks the official start of Police Week, and local, state and federal law enforcement agencies across the country will be honoring those who put their lives on the line every day and to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in protecting their communities. Police Memorial Day is scheduled for Tuesday, May 15, and this special day of tribute will remember the 128 law enforcement officers who lost their lives in 2017, 119 male and nine female officers with an average age of 42. In addition, more than 50,000 officers are assaulted annually, resulting in an average of more than 13,000 injuries. In honor of their colleagues, many officers will be sheathing their badges beginning today and continuing through Saturday, May 19.
