Major League Baseball Manager Manny Acta Honored with Inaugural Chairman’s Award

Major League Baseball manager of the Cleveland Indians, Manny Acta, received the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund’s first-ever Chairman's Award on May 19, 2011. The award was presented at the Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland Indians baseball game at Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field during the Chicago White Sox's Law Enforcement Day at the Park, to honor local Chicago law enforcement personnel, including the five Chicago officers who made the ultimate sacrifice last year.

A deserving recipient of this inaugural honor, Manny is a fervent supporter of the Memorial Fund and the upcoming National Law Enforcement Museum, currently under construction, as well as an advocate for the law enforcement profession and the brave men and women who serve and protect our communities.
In 2009, Manny filmed a public service announcement for the National Law Enforcement Museum that aired at Nationals Park—home of the Washington Nationals, where he served as manager for three years before moving to Cleveland.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund “Chairman’s Award” is presented to a deserving individual or organization that has assisted the Memorial Fund in its work to honor the service and sacrifice of America’s law enforcement officers, and/or has made contributions to the law enforcement profession.

The award was given to Manny by Memorial Fund Chairman and CEO Craig W. Floyd, Director of Development & Law Enforcement Relations John Shanks, International Association of Chiefs of Police Executive Director and Memorial Fund Board Member Dan Rosenblatt, Deputy Executive Director Jim McMahon, and Research Center Director John Firman, along with Gates (NY) Police Department Detective and Memorial Fund Ambassador Joshua Bowman, right on the baseball diamond at U.S. Cellular Field.

“The Memorial Fund is extremely grateful to Manny for his dedication to law enforcement and our worthy cause. We hope that his support and leadership will encourage Major League Baseball and other professional sports to honor law enforcement and participate in the Museum campaign, appropriately called “A Matter of Honor,” said Mr. Floyd.

For more information about the Museum campaign and how to donate visit: www.LawEnforcementMuseum.org.

Help Team SacPD on Their 3,000+ Mile Journey

Police Officers from the Sacramento (CA) Police Department are gearing up for the Race Across America, a cross-country bike ride from California to Maryland. Team SacPD will start their 3,000+ mile journey on June 18, 2011, to help raise awareness for the over 19,000 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in US history.

As part of their efforts, Team SacPD has created a catalog of names of fallen officers that they will keep with them on the journey. At the end of the ride, it will be presented to Craig W. Floyd, Chairman & CEO of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

Help Team SacPD reach their $100,000 goal by making a donation or providing in-kind support. Learn more about how you can help at www.sacpd.org/teamsacpd.

For more information on how to get involved with TeamSacPD, contact Lt. Jim Beezley at jrbeezley@pd.cityofsacramento.org or call (816) 808-0854 for more information and visit the website at www.sacpd.org/teamsacpd.

Historic Law Enforcement Officer's First Visit to the Memorial

Two days after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, then Detective James R. Leavelle, Dallas (TX) Police Department, found himself handcuffed to Lee Harvey Oswald as they were escorting him to the county jail. Because they were shackled so closely to one another during the transport, Mr. Leavelle turned to him and said, “Lee, if anybody shoots, I hope they’re as good a shot as you are." According to Mr. Leavelle, he (Oswald) kind of laughed and said, “Well nobody’s going to shoot at me.”

The shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald was captured by a Dallas Times-Herald Pulitzer Prize winning black and white photograph picturing Detective Leavelle handcuffed to Oswald—a photograph that undoubtedly made him one of the most famous police officers in America.

This week, Mr. Leavelle made the trip from Texas to visit the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and provide an oral history for the National Law Enforcement Museum, to permanently record his law enforcement service and ensure his story will be shared with everyone that visits the Museum.

Mr. Leavelle also served as the first guest in the National Law Enforcement Museum's, Witness to History discussion series last Tuesday evening.

Yesterday, Mr. Leavelle, along with his wife and daughter, visited the Memorial for the first time. Fittingly, Mr. Leavelle saw the name of his former colleague with the Dallas (TX) Police, JD Tippit, etched on to Panel 63-E, Line 9 of the marble walls. JD Tippit was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald minutes after President Kennedy was killed.

Eleven-year-old Adam Pays Special Tribute to All Fallen Heroes

Etching an officer’s name on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is a meaningful and special tradition. It allows individuals to bring a bit of the Memorial home with them—more specifically, an outlined name of a fallen officer whom they will never forget. To surviving family members and loved ones, these etchings serve as constant, tangible reminders of the sacrifices made and the lives lived by such selfless and courageous individuals.

That key sentiment was not lost on Adam, the 11-year-old son of a 20-year law enforcement veteran and member of Virginia II Chapter of the Blue Knights. Adam attended his second LawRide on May 9th during National Police Week 2011 and spent time selling Memorial Fund merchandise in order to raise funds for a cause particularly significant to him and his family.

During Adam’s visit to the Memorial, he displayed compassion well beyond his years for all 19,298 officers whose names adorn the marble walls. One of the names on the monument represents a close friend and colleague whom Adam’s father worked with for nine years. Virginia State Police Trooper Mark Cosslett, or “Cooter” as he was known by those closest to him, was killed in a motorcycle accident while responding to a call of shots fired on October 23, 2002, during the sniper attacks in the Washington, DC area.

Adam demonstrated his gratitude and honored not only his friend , but all those who have died in the line of duty, by tracing letters from several different names on the Memorial walls in order to create his special tribute message: “Rest In Peace. None Of You Will Ever Be Forgotten.” As you can see in the photos, these powerful words were flanked by “VSP” in the lower right-hand corner of the paper to represent the Virginia State Police in remembrance of Trooper Cosslett, as well as Adam’s father, who continues to serve today.

Many unique tributes like Adam’s are left at the Memorial each day, especially during National Police Week, and each has its own extraordinary story and significance.

Share your own personal tributes at www.LawMemorial.org/Tributes.

Law Enforcement Day at the Park

Photo courtesy of Josh Bowman

The Chicago White Sox dedicated May 19, 2011, as National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Day at the Park. The event was organized by the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge #7 and benefited the Memorial Fund's efforts to build the National Law Enforcement Museum.

Last year, five Chicago Police Officers made the ultimate sacrifice — Michael Ray Bailey Sr, Michael Ronald Flisk, Alan J Haymaker, Thor O Soderberg, and Thomas E Wortham IV. Their names were added to the Memorial earlier this spring and formally dedicated on May 13, 2011, at the annual Candlelight Vigil.

Thanks to all who came to US Cellular Field to honor the service and sacrifice of 19,298 officers, killed in the line of duty.

Observing National Police Week in Afghanistan

Last week, law enforcement officers, their families, and citizen supporters gathered at the annual Candlelight Vigil, the FOP ceremony at the U.S. Capitol and other events held in Washington, DC, as part of National Police Week. In addition, folks across the country were busy observing Peace Officers Memorial Day in their local communities. And one group found themselves celebrating locally ... in Afghanistan.

A special agent sent the Memorial Fund photos from the Police Week ceremony attended by 150 law enforcement officers, from 20 federal law enforcement agencies, with representatives from four countries. General Mark Martins, Rule of Law Afghanistan was the guest speaker.

The Memorial Fund flag was signed by those in attendance and is being sent back to the US to be placed at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

National Peace Officers Memorial Day

In 1962, President Kennedy proclaimed May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which May 15th falls, as National Police Week determining the dates for National Police Week 2011 — Sunday, May 15th through Saturday, May 21st.

At the conclusion of the 30^th Annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service at the U.S. Capitol, leaders of the Fraternal Order of Police, the FOP Auxiliary, Concerns of Police Survivors and the Memorial Fund brought the wreath from the Capitol to the Memorial to remain under the watch of honor guards from all over the country for the rest of the evening.

Hundreds of honor guard members from across the country, flanked both sides of E Street NW leading to the Memorial. The wreath was preceded by the U.S. Honor Flag hosted by the Miami-Dade Police Department.

Many folks spent the afternoon and evening at the Memorial's walls. There were laughter and tears, handshakes and hugs, lots of blue tape, and thousands of name rubbings.

At midnight, a lone piper walked through the Memorial as he played, and the flags were returned to full staff signaling the end of Peace Officers Memorial Day.