History
Donald J. Guilfoil, a detective with the Suffolk County PBA, initiated the federal legislation to establish a National Police Memorial in 1972. Rep. Biaggi then took up the cause and joined forces with U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell (D-RI) to establish the national monument to honor all of America's fallen law enforcement heroes.
The legislation to authorize the Memorial was enacted in October 1984. Fifteen national law enforcement organizations were responsible for the passage of the legislation, along with designing the Memorial, finding the site to build the Memorial, and raising the funds to build the Memorial. These police groups comprise the board of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and continue to oversee operations of the Memorial: Concerns of Police Survivors; Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association; Fraternal Order of Police; Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary; International Association of Chiefs of Police; International Brotherhood of Police Officers; International Union of Police Associations/AFL-CIO; National Association of Police Organizations; National Black Police Association; National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives; National Sheriffs' Association; National Troopers Coalition; Police Executive Research Forum; Police Foundation; and the United Federation of Police. In 2009, a 16th member was added to the NLEOMF board: the Police Unity Tour, an organization of law enforcement officers who ride their bicycles hundreds of miles to the Memorial each May during National Police Week to honor officers killed in the line of duty. There are also four honorary board organizations: the FBI National Academy Associates; the Federal Criminal Investigators Association; the International Association of Women Police; and the International Conference of Police Chaplains.
Read more about this topic: National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial
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