WHEREAS, there are more than 900,000 sworn working men and women law enforcement officers now serving in the United States; and
WHEREAS, in 2016 law enforcement deaths hit a 5-year high, and from January 1 through June 30, 2017, there has been a 30% increase in deaths compared to the same period in 2016, with a total to date of 1,512 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty over the past 10 years, which equates to an average of one death every 63 hours or 151 per year; and
WHEREAS, in 2015, being the most recent data gathered, there were 51,548 assaults against law enforcement officers, which resulted in 14,453 injuries; and
WHEREAS, law enforcement personnel includes individuals from various religious and ethnic backgrounds; it should be further noted that there were six female officers killed in 2016, with a total of 309 female officers that have been killed and that are listed on the National Memorial; and
WHEREAS, the National Memorial honors all of America’s law enforcement heroes—those who have died in the line of duty and those who continue to serve and protect; and
WHEREAS, during Police Week held every year in May, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) is a principal organizer of the annual tribute to those law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice and to increase public support for the law enforcement profession; and
WHEREAS, the National Law Enforcement Officers Museum is currently being built with union labor and resources; it is scheduled to open in our nation’s capital in the fall of 2018, and will provide visitors an opportunity to walk in an officer’s shoes and experience firsthand what it is like to make life-or-death decisions, solve crimes, protect our communities, and safeguard our freedoms; and
WHEREAS, the National Law Enforcement Officers Museum’s mission is to tell the story of American law enforcement through exhibits, collections, research, and education;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the AFL-CIO endorses and supports the efforts of the NLEOMF to honor the law enforcement officers who have been killed in the line of duty by permanently etching their names on the memorial and the museum’s effort to build mutual respect and foster cooperation between the public and the law enforcement profession.