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Wednesday, May15, 2024, was sunny and warm. Traffic around the Troy Police Department seemed to move quietly slow, perhaps, in recognition of the Peace Officers Memorial Day ceremony that was underway on the department grounds.

Those who gathered at the Police Memorial were there to honor the officers who gave their lives in the line of duty; officers who “stood in the gap.”

Peace Officers Memorial Day was a time to remember and honor those whose lives were lost in the line of duty. The ceremony was also a time to express appreciation to their families for their never-ending loss.

• The Roll Call of Honor was for Will G. Jackson, Troy Police Department, June 3, 1905;

• Hayden Youngblood, TPD, May 22, 1962;

• Cecil Sullivan, TPD, November12,1967;

• Billy Dease, TPD, January 15, 1968; and

• Steve Watkins, TPD, November 26, 1981.

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.

National Police Week offers honor, remembrance and peer support, while allowing law enforcement, survivors and citizens to gather and pay homage to those who gave their lives in the line of duty.

Troy Mayor Jason A. Reeves graciously acknowledged the presence of the families whose loved ones gave their lives “in their efforts to take care of us.”

The monument that stands at the front of the Troy Police Department is a reminder of the sacrifices of the fallen Troy Police Officers.

The mayor said the Troy Police Officers take the burden of protection off those they serve.

Reeves said it is important that all citizens remember what police officers do “for all of us.”

“And, that hose whose names were called gave their all for those they served and protected. We should never forget them and their sacrifices.”