At the Car Pro Show, we do our best to honor the police officers who keep us safe every day of the year. As we observe 2024 National Police Week which begins Sunday, May 12th, we thank you and we thank your families. You leave your homes not knowing if you are coming home later.
In this age where people gun down officers for no apparent reason, we say THANK YOU for what you do.
On a personal note, I have put the black tape over my badge, and attended many officer funerals. Unless you have done this, you cannot truly understand it. Thank you for indulging me on this special week. To follow that up, please take a moment and watch this video:
History of Police Week
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation, which designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week. Currently, tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world converge on Washington, DC to participate in a number of planned events which honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
The Memorial Service began in 1982 as a gathering in Senate Park of approximately 120 survivors and supporters of law enforcement. Decades later, the event, more commonly known as National Police Week, has grown to a series of events which attract thousands of survivors and law enforcement officers to our Nation’s Capital each year.
The National Peace Officers Memorial Service, which is sponsored by the Grand Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, is one in a series of events which includes the Candlelight Vigil, which is sponsored by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) and seminars sponsored by Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.)
National Police Week draws in between 25,000 to 40,000 attendees. The attendees come from departments throughout the United States as well as from agencies throughout the world. This provides a unique opportunity to meet others who work in law enforcement. In that spirit, the Fraternal Order of Police DC Lodge #1 sponsors receptions each afternoon and evening during Police Week. These events are open to all law enforcement personnel and are an experience unlike any other.
If You Could See
If you could see what I have seen, maybe you’d understand,
It takes a special kind of person, who opts to make a stand.
If you could see what I have seen, you’d have a ringside seat to life,
It is not always full of sugar and roses, often there is strife.
If you could see what I have seen, the holidays aren’t always merry,
We labor day in and day out, always to protect your family.
If you could see what I have seen, you’d understand the cost,
That consumes a loving mother, when her 2-year old is lost.
If you could see what I have seen, you’d understand their pain,
When you tell his parents in the middle of the night that his death was not in vain.
If you could see what I have seen, you’d understand the grief,
The entire family suffers from what he injects underneath.
If you could see what I have seen, you’d opt to go in,
Because you know that someone is trapped from within.
If you could see what I have seen, you’d know a family’s care,
Reading the last message on her cell phone, knowing she is not there.
If you could see what I have seen, you’d recognize it in her eyes,
When that child speaks, you’re the only one not surprised.
If you could see what I have seen, you’d chase him near and far,
For what he did to that little boy, left a huge emotional scar.
If you could see what I have seen, you’d understand the truth,
The media paints a picture that is erroneous and uncouth.
If you could see what I have seen, you might choose other work,
Because you’d feel that this one takes much more than it is worth.
If you could see what I have seen, you’d experience the uncertainty,
While my family waits to hear from me, knowing it’s often dirty.
If you could see what I have seen, you’d help to lead the way,
Hoping to ensure that everyone goes home that day.
If you could see what I have seen, you’d know there are miracles all around,
And realize your daily sacrifice, helps communities abound.
If you could see what I have seen, you’d understand his will,
When a 9-year old loses his father, the impact is forever still.
If you could see what I have seen, the stories are all true,
But the scars are not always visible, not even to you.
If you could see what I have seen, you’d understand what I do,
It’s not in vain, the reason is simple; I do it all for you.
Dedicated to the modern-day guardians dressed in blue.
Used with permission of PoliceOne.com, poem by Chief Michael Cloutier.
Photo Credit:
Bulgn/Shutterstock.com