News

Remember Police Week

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Ashlin Federick
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Police Week will be held May 11-17 at Dover Air Force Base, Del.

Police week is an event that remembers fallen officers and pays tribute to them. It also highlights a lot of different events to bring police officers together.

Field Day will be May 11 which is a family event to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community. It is also an event for children to come out and see all the police cars. Following the field day will be candlelight vigils for the families of the fallen officers in Delaware.

Other events for Police Week include the Golf Tourney May 14, the Fitness Challenge and Run for Remembrance May 15, and the Handgun Marksmen Competition May 16.

The Law Enforcement Retreat will be held May 17, with guest speaker Chief William Topping from Georgetown Police Department, followed by the Law Enforcement Officer's Ball at the Rollins Center with guest speaker Col. E.M. Setting from New Castle County Police Department.

The Law Enforcement Officer's Ball is a charity event for Concerns of Police Survivors or COPS. A portion of every ticket purchased goes to COPS.

COPS is an organization that is very crucial and important to the law enforcement community especially when someone dies in the line of duty. They provide families with the support they need. They give them the immediate needs that people don't think about. They also still support families 30 to 40 years after the fact.

Master Sgt. Christopher Guild, 436th Security Forces Squadron NCO in charge of installation security, said Police Week is very important to police officers and families of the fallen because it is near and dear to their hearts. He said his job is to protect and serve, even when he has to sometimes deal with combative people.

"To be able to communicate with these people and let them know that you are there to help them can be a challenge sometimes, especially if they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol," said Guild. "It's a tough job, but it is job I wouldn't trade for anything."

Justin Viens, 436th Force Support Squadron supervisory police officer, said he thinks for a lot of police officers realize any day of work could be their last. He also said that every 53 hours a police officer is killed in the line of duty.

Viens said Police Week shows the rest of the world that police officers can honor the fallen officers that made the ultimate sacrifice. He said it is a way to continue to support agencies that support police officers and their families if something tragic were to happen to them.

"I think when we go to work it is a lot about having each other's backs and doing what we signed up to do and that is protecting the general public from chaos and people who have disregarded the law in some form or fashion," said Viens.