Health & Fitness
Honoring Fallen Police Officers Brings Up Lots of Emotion
Eighteen years in law enforcement have not hardened my heart to the strong emotions when the bagpipes play at police funerals and memorials. And fatal attacks on police increased 40 percent this year.
On Tuesday I traveled to the Peace Officers Memorial of Cook County in Lyons, Illinois as part of a remembrance day for those officers who have fallen in Cook County. Back in 2001, the Cook County Board designated May 10 as the permanent date for remembering fallen law enforcement officers.
On Tuesday the weather cooperated with perfectly sunny skies and temperatures in the 90's. We started by staging in the Morton College parking lot with over 57 law enforcement agencies from Cook County which included local, state and federal agencies. We proceeded on a silent procession with lights on in our squad cars including a Chicago Police helicopter escort to the memorial site in Lyons at 7601 Ogden Avenue, which is in the Cermak Woods Forest Preserve.
As the officers lined up with members of the Chicago Emerald Society Bagpipes playing as we march two abreast to the memorial site, a pin could have dropped and you would have heard it. I have to say that 18 years in law enforcement still has not hardened my heart to the raging emotion that is brought up by those bagpipes. I can only say, attend a police officer's funeral or memorial and you will understand what I mean. Absolutely chilling to your bone.
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Sgt. Galen Caldwell, Chicago PD, sang the national anthem and Pastor Joseph Mills, from the Westchester Community Church and chaplain from Westchester PD gave the invocation. Chief of Police Pamela Church delivered a very heartfelt speech regarding our job and the dangers that we are faced with, including the stark realities that law enforcement officers were killed at a rate 40% higher than the previous year, including a dramatic increase in ambush-style attacks on officers.
Of course there were the speeches by the politicians from the County Board, Cook County States Attorney Anita Alvarez, whom I met when I won the Cook County Crime Stoppers award in 2010, and Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart. They did a very nice job of honoring the fallen.
Find out what's happening in Niles-Morton Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The Fallen of 2010:
- Police Sgt. Alan J. Haymaker, Chicago Police Department, end of watch 2/22/2010
- Police Officer Thomas E. Wortham, Chicago Police Department, end of watch 5/20/2010
- Police Officer Thor O. Soderberg, Chicago Police Department, end of watch 7/7/2010
- Police Officer Michael R. Baily, Chicago Police Department, end of watch 7/18/2010
- Police Officer Michael Flish, Chicago Police Department, end of watch 11/26/2010
and those from Cook County who have died in the past
- Police Officer Harold A. Kegler, Cook County Highway Police, end of watch 6/8/1925. As a note, Officer Kegler died in what was to become Niles not far from the old Cook County Sheriff's Headquarters building in the 8900 block of Milwaukee.
- Police Officer John G. Sweitz, Cook County Highway Police, end of watch 6/24/1928.
The reading of each of their names was extremely emotional for those attending, and especially for those who had to read their stories, knowing full well what type of person they were. They talked about how each had given their very all to their community before having their lives taken from them.
Perhaps what is so tragic and a stark reminder is that each of these fallen officers left someone behind-- parents, spouse or child, coworker-- whose life will inexplicably be affected by the events surrounding their deaths.
As we complete police week on May 15, 2011, please remember the fallen.
