Police officer memorial always changing
Unlike all the lavish monuments of Washington, D.C., one memorial is always changing.
That memorial is the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, whose 304-foot-long marble walls feature the names of a staggering 20,000 officers killed in the line of duty. Each spring, new names of fallen officers are added to the monument during National Police Week, this year beginning May 15.
Although situated on three acres of park land in Judiciary Square, the law enforcement memorial is a bit off the beaten tourist path. Visitors who seek it out are treated to an emotional tableau of beauty. Two tree-lined pathways of remembrance bear the names of fallen officers. Each pathway entrance features statues of lions guarding their cubs, in a dramatic statement of courage and strength.
Dedicated in 1991, the memorial is site for a variety of events for Police Week and other ceremonies, formal and informal.
