In honor of National Police Week, and National Peace Officers’ Memorial Day, the State of Kansas will be holding its annual Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony on Friday, May 19th. A Candlelight Vigil will also take place on Thursday, May 18th.
The public is encouraged to attend the memorial events that take place in Kansas.
The annual Kansas Law Enforcement Memorial Candlelight Vigil on Thursday the 18th will be in the First Floor Rotunda area of the Statehouse, with a Candle Lighting Ceremony to follow at the Kansas Law Enforcement Monument. The vigil will begin at 8:00 p.m.
The annual Kansas Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony will be held on Friday, May 19th at the Kansas Statehouse, Second Floor Rotunda, at 12:00 p.m. A Wreath-Laying Ceremony will follow at the Kansas Law Enforcement Monument, which is on the northeast quadrant of the Statehouse grounds.
Four names have been added to the Kansas Law Enforcement Monument this year:
- Deputy Sidnee Taylor Carter, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, End of Watch: October 7, 2022
- Captain Clay Morsell Germany, Wichita Police Department, End of Watch: July 9, 2021
- Officer David Leroy Ingle, Iola Police Department, End of Watch: January 4, 2022
- Deputy James Lucero, Ford County Sheriff’s Office, End of Watch: January 3, 2022
In 2022, 226 officers were killed in the line of duty in the U.S., according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. So far in 2023, as of May 11th, 37 officers have been killed in the line of duty in the U.S.
