Police Officers Mourned in Capital
By CANDACE SMITH
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - Tears were shed Monday in Washington for law enforcement officers killed in the World Trade Center terrorist attacks.
About 70 police officers presumed or confirmed dead in the Sept. 11 attack, along with 10 officers killed since last October in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, were honored at a wreath-laying ceremony at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. The memorial's 10th anniversary was also commemorated.
"Today we would like to pay a special tribute to all of those officers who made the ultimate sacrifice on Sept. 11, while also acknowledging the courageous service of all who performed so well during the rescue and recovery efforts," said Craig W. Floyd, chairman of the Memorial Fund.
About 30 family members of police officers who worked for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey were bused down for the ceremony.
The relatives of the fallen officers placed red roses tied with blue ribbons in a pile in front of two wreaths.
"It's absolutely beautiful," said Arlene Howard of Hicksville, N.Y. Her son George, a 16-year veteran of the Port Authority police, was killed after responding to the World Trade Center attack.
"We lost 70 law enforcement officers on Sept. 11. That's by far the most ever in history in a single incident," said Floyd.
Before last month, the deadliest incident in law enforcement history happened Nov. 24, 1917, when nine Milwaukee police officers were killed in a bomb blast at their station house.
The Fund estimates 155 officers are killed every year. So far this year, 198 officers have been killed on the job _ numbers not seen since the 1970s, according to the Fund.
"Unfortunately it took a national tragedy for police officers to gain the respect they already deserve," said Joyce Tyler, sister of Maryland state trooper Edward M. Toatley. He was killed last October during an undercover drug deal.
The names of those honored Monday will be inscribed on the memorial during a candlelight vigil May 13. The memorial already is inscribed with 15,000 names.
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On the Net:
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial: http://www.nleomf.com/
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