COLUMBUS, Ohio — Police Week is officially underway and departments are asking the public to respect all officers, both those who are serving and those who have fallen.

What You Need To Know

  • National Police Week runs from May 13 to May 17

  • Various departments are hosting events that range from 5Ks to remembrance ceremonies

  • Officers are asking for increased respect and grace during this grieving period after a Euclid police officer was killed in the line of duty

Over the weekend, one officer in Euclid was killed in the line of duty and another officer in Columbus was injured. Many officers are taking this week to remember those that they have lost and allow the public to see the dangers of the job. 

Several departments across the state will take part in National Police Week. The Wright-Patterson Air Force Base will kick off its events with a K-9 skills competition and will end the week with a 5K run and a formal remembrance ceremony. The Ohio State Highway Patrol already held its annual Light Ohio Blue event and are asking that people donate to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. This Friday, the city of Cincinnati will hold its annual FOP memorial parade. The Greater Cleveland Peace Officers Memorial Society is also taking the week to recognize those who have passed on or were killed in the line of duty. 

“The memorial is the place where survivors can go to and remember their loved ones,” said Joe Mannion, who serves as President of the Greater Cleveland Peace Officers Memorial Society. “It is a sacred place to them and to us as the survivors. We know that their [the survivors] loved ones will never be forgotten, every year as long as we keep reading the names they are not forgotten.”

Saturday evening, the Euclid Police Department lost one of its own in the line of duty. Peter J. Elliott, who serves as the U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Ohio said that the culture and attitude toward police needs to change. 

“There is no respect for law enforcement any more, is there?” said U.S. Marshal Peter J. Elliott in a press conference on Sunday. “Is there? I'm going to tell you something. We are going to continue to stand united, as you see behind me right now, we're going to continue to stand united. There is no respect for law enforcement and it needs to change.”

Elliott notes the overall theme for this week's Police Week is respect and grace. He said that the officers in your community need both in order to do their jobs effectively. 

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