Senator Jay Costa: Mr. President, I’m honored and humbled to join my friend and my colleague, Senator Rafferty, in offering this resolution to recognize National Police Week, and Police Officer’s Memorial Day on the upcoming May. We recognize Police Week each year, and as a former law enforcement officer, this program, and this citation, and resolution holds a special significance to me. Each year, though, I struggle with simply saying that we’re recognizing the week.
Police Week is all about honoring and remembering those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Each one of the officers that Senator Rafferty referenced were more than men and women in uniform, and more than simply a badge number. They were the sons and daughters, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, and friends of so many in our community. Their loss created a void for their families and their communities that can never be filled. Each loss was tragic and unexpected.
But this year, Mr. President, we offer this resolution. I want us to do more than just recognize the officers and their lives. I want us to celebrate them. I want us to commit to joining the families and the celebration of lives well lived, and services so deserving of our respect in their admiration. While we can’t ever replace what each of these families has lost, or repay them for the sacrifices made, what we can do, and what we should do is celebrate who these officers were, and the hopes and the dreams that they had for the future.
My support of this resolution and the celebration of Police Week this year is my renewed commitment to never forget the names or the faces, to celebrate them is always to do everything we can to support their families for the rest of their lives. I believe that what we wanted this to do, and to don’t think, and can’t think of a better reason to offer this resolution celebrating National Police Week and Police Officer’s Memorial Day in May. My thanks to each of them and their families for their service and their sacrifice, and wish them God’s speed. Thank you, Mr. President.