Dalton Police Department Observes Peace Officers Memorial Day With Ceremony

  • Friday, May 15, 2015

Under a bright, sunny sky, Dalton officers and citizens gathered together to observe National Peace Officers Memorial Day at the Police Services Center.  The annual observance took place Friday morning near the newly installed Chief William Hannah Police Memorial near the intersection of Waugh Street and Jones Street.

Members of the police department’s honor guard presented the US and Georgia flags after a bagpiper from the Gordon County Sheriff’s Office played “Amazing Grace”.

Honor guard officers also presented a memorial wreath during Friday morning’s ceremony.  Individual red roses were also placed at the memorial marker in memory of the two Dalton Police Department officers who lost their lives in the line of duty: Chief William Hannah (1899) and Officer Maurice W. Phillips, Sr. (1956).  Officer Phillips’ son Tom Phillips placed the rose in his father’s honor.  Marsa Cox Ealey also placed a rose in honor of Ordinance Officer Kathy Cox of the Gordon County Sheriff’s Office who was killed in the line of duty on August 21, 2008.

Chief Jason Parker welcomed the officers and citizens who came to the ceremony and gave a short speech about the importance of remembering police officers who gave their lives in the line of duty and also praising officers who have answered the call to serve the community despite the great risks involved.

Department spokesman Bruce Frazier then read the names of the five Georgia law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty since last year’s Peace Officers Memorial Day: Deputy Steven LaCruz Thomas, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office (May 21, 2014), Officer Kevin Dorian Jordan, Griffin Police Department (May 31, 2014), Deputy Michael Norris, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (September 14, 2014), Detective Terence Avery Green, Fulton County Police Department (March 4, 2015), and Officer Darryl Wallace, Clayton County Police Department (March 15, 2015).  The ceremony concluded after a moment of silence in their honor.

This is the text outline of Chief Parker’s remarks:

"Peace Officers Memorial Day is a time to remember the service and sacrifice of the officers who lost their lives in the line of duty; and to remember the sacrifice of law enforcement families who are left behind. Inscribed on the Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, DC is the following verse from Proverbs 28:1 – “The wicked flee when no man pursueth, but the righteous are as bold as a lion”.

"A lot of people have said to me recently that it's an awfully tough time to be a cop in America right now. While that might be true, it's always a difficult time to be a police officer. Today there is a serious cultural debate underway about policing. We need to take a collective deep breath and realize that out of a million police officers in America, we as a society should not allow the mistakes of less than one percent to captivate the entire narrative on the state of policing in our nation

"Even in small, quiet towns there are unseen risks for police officers who feel that strain everyday. There are the constant potential risks to their lives; the potential risk from constant exposure to stress; the risk to spiritual well-being; and even the likely risk that their career could lead to their marriage ending in divorce because of the cumulative effect of all those stresses.

"If it’s such a tough job, with so many risks, why do the men and women of law enforcement do it? The truth is that police officers get into the profession out of a sense of duty as a member of society; they want to help people who need it the most, but who may not realize it at the time; Police officers answer the call because they get satisfaction just from doing the job; and from the quality of their efforts.

"As we observe not just Peace Officers Memorial Day but also National Police Week, to the community we serve I want to say thank you for the opportunity to do what we do best…even when it may be misunderstood, and sometimes even mischaracterized. We are still proud to wear the badge and conduct ourselves in a way that honors that symbol of trust.

"To all peace officers, living and fallen, active and retired and your families, thank you for service and sacrifice. We may no longer have the fallen brothers and sisters, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters with us in body, but we can honor them in spirit, and honor the sense of duty they served and died for.

"I urge all officers to train and prepare yourself constantly for the physical, emotional, and spiritual dangers to your well-being; take care of the people who love you and let them support you. Walk with honor, and let’s all go home at the end of the day! Remember, for those men and women who died in the line of duty…they are not heroes for how they died, but for how they lived their lives.

"The Bible says, 'Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called the Sons of God.'  

"The beauty of American policing is that we’ve always served based on the expectations of the local community, so we stand in your midst, night and day, a part of the community and ready to serve."

 

 

 

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