Engraving the names onto the Memorial is a process that starts long before Engraving Day in April and the Candlelight Vigil in May. There are records to collect, reports to read, and an intricate process of review and approval, spell checks and placement checks that make up many months of activities for the NLEOMF's Research Department.
With about two months to go until National Police Week, the Research Department made it to a crucial point for this year's names engraving - they tested the proof of the names by laying them out on the Memorial walls, and made final changes to the placement.
As Ms. Bernie Spence, Director of Research, led her team to the Memorial on E Street, the sun was bright and all remnants of the winter storm that hit the East Coast just four days previously were nowhere in sight. It was a beautiful, peaceful day that somehow fit perfectly the seriousness with which they took on their project. Research team members Carolie Heyliger, Jeremy Borrego and Jackie Piccigallo placed the names and arranged them until they fit perfectly, as Bernie took careful record of any changes they made.
"It's a very important and detailed process," Bernie said. "We collect names and data forms on officer deaths as they occur throughout the year, and look for historical deaths that we may have missed. We gather support documentation such as medical records, newspaper articles and official reports, and review it all with the Memorial Fund's Names Committee for final approvals."
After several meetings with the Names Committee, Bernie said, they finalize a completed list of the names that will be engraved and honored during National Police Week, and from there they double and triple check spellings and placement on the walls.
"Once we carve an officer's name in stone, we can never change it, so we want to make sure we get everything exactly right," Bernie said. "It's important to us that we give this gift to the officers' loved ones. It's a gift of history and remembrance - a gift that will last forever."
Monday, March 9, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
Officer Death Prompts Policy Changes in Dallas
Senior Corporal Norman Smith of the Dallas Police Department was gunned down on January 6 as he and fellow members of the Gang Unit went to a known drug hangout to serve an arrest warrant for aggravated assault. In the aftermath of the tragedy, the Police Department is implementing new policies designed to enhance officer safety during these types of high-risk situations, the Dallas Morning News reports.
The new policy sharply limits the number of officers who can serve arrest warrants on suspects considered dangerous. These officers are required to undergo specialized, ongoing training and to wear bullet-proof vests when executing a felony warrants. The new rules also require that officers knock and announce that they are police.
The moves were generally praised by both law enforcement training experts and police association leaders. “It’s a smart move to have a protocol in place,” Ed Nowicki, executive director of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association, told the paper. “Nobody wants to see an officer lose his life in the line of duty, but his death would be even more for naught if something didn’t change,” he added.
Sergeant Sheldon Smith, executive first vice president of the Black Police Association (and no relation to Senior Corporal Smith), said the changes will make the department safer and more efficient. “In the past, because we run so many warrants, we’ve taken it for granted that everything is going to be OK. As we’ve seen ... things can change in the blink of an eye.”
Read the full article
The new policy sharply limits the number of officers who can serve arrest warrants on suspects considered dangerous. These officers are required to undergo specialized, ongoing training and to wear bullet-proof vests when executing a felony warrants. The new rules also require that officers knock and announce that they are police.
The moves were generally praised by both law enforcement training experts and police association leaders. “It’s a smart move to have a protocol in place,” Ed Nowicki, executive director of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association, told the paper. “Nobody wants to see an officer lose his life in the line of duty, but his death would be even more for naught if something didn’t change,” he added.
Sergeant Sheldon Smith, executive first vice president of the Black Police Association (and no relation to Senior Corporal Smith), said the changes will make the department safer and more efficient. “In the past, because we run so many warrants, we’ve taken it for granted that everything is going to be OK. As we’ve seen ... things can change in the blink of an eye.”
Read the full article
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Remembering Paul Harvey
The NLEOMF joins Americans everywhere in mourning the loss of Paul Harvey. The beloved ABC News radio broadcaster died on February 28, surrounded by family members in Phoenix. He was 90 years old.
A longtime friend of the Memorial Fund, Mr. Harvey understood the significance of the nation’s monument to fallen law enforcement officers in a deeply personal way. That was because of his father, Tulsa (OK) Police Officer Harry Aurandt.
On December 19, 1921—in the midst of a crime spree that had all of Tulsa’s officers on the lookout—Officer Aurandt and Tulsa’s chief detective, Ike Wilkinson, were driving on a road five miles from the city when they spotted a suspicious vehicle and stopped to investigate. Without warning, they were ambushed by four desperadoes, all with criminal records and all out on bond. Although Harry raised his arms as he was directed to do by the bandits, they shot him anyway, one bullet piercing his liver, another his lung. Detective Wilkinson fired back, but he was also seriously wounded. Despite his critical injuries, Harry held courageously to the wheel of the car and managed to drive himself and Ike to a farm house about a mile away.
Ike Wilkinson survived the shooting, but permanently lost the use of his legs. Harry Aurandt, at the age of 48, was not so lucky. He died the day after the attack with his wife, Anna, by his side. Son Paul was just 3 years old.
Eleven years later, at the age of 14, Paul got his first radio job, at KVOO in Tulsa. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1943 and received an honorable medical discharge a few months later after a training injury. After his military service, Paul Harvey Aurandt shortened his name to Paul Harvey and moved to Chicago, where he began doing his twice-daily, 15-minute news commentaries. In 1976, Mr. Harvey began a five-minute daily broadcast called “The Rest of the Story,” which became his signature tagline. In recent years, his “Paul Harvey News and Comment” program attracted 22 million listeners daily.
Even with great fame and popularity—he was a runner-up in the 1969 Gallup Poll of the most admired man in America—Paul Harvey never forgot his Midwestern roots … or his father’s sacrifice. He supported many of the Memorial Fund’s efforts over the years, and he was a featured speaker at the 1992 Candlelight Vigil at the freshly dedicated Memorial in Washington, DC. A clip of his remarks can be found on the NLEOMF You Tube channel.
Mr. Harvey’s wife, Lynne Cooper Harvey, died in 2008. He is survived by son Paul. Rest in peace, friend.
A longtime friend of the Memorial Fund, Mr. Harvey understood the significance of the nation’s monument to fallen law enforcement officers in a deeply personal way. That was because of his father, Tulsa (OK) Police Officer Harry Aurandt.
On December 19, 1921—in the midst of a crime spree that had all of Tulsa’s officers on the lookout—Officer Aurandt and Tulsa’s chief detective, Ike Wilkinson, were driving on a road five miles from the city when they spotted a suspicious vehicle and stopped to investigate. Without warning, they were ambushed by four desperadoes, all with criminal records and all out on bond. Although Harry raised his arms as he was directed to do by the bandits, they shot him anyway, one bullet piercing his liver, another his lung. Detective Wilkinson fired back, but he was also seriously wounded. Despite his critical injuries, Harry held courageously to the wheel of the car and managed to drive himself and Ike to a farm house about a mile away.
Ike Wilkinson survived the shooting, but permanently lost the use of his legs. Harry Aurandt, at the age of 48, was not so lucky. He died the day after the attack with his wife, Anna, by his side. Son Paul was just 3 years old.
Eleven years later, at the age of 14, Paul got his first radio job, at KVOO in Tulsa. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1943 and received an honorable medical discharge a few months later after a training injury. After his military service, Paul Harvey Aurandt shortened his name to Paul Harvey and moved to Chicago, where he began doing his twice-daily, 15-minute news commentaries. In 1976, Mr. Harvey began a five-minute daily broadcast called “The Rest of the Story,” which became his signature tagline. In recent years, his “Paul Harvey News and Comment” program attracted 22 million listeners daily.
Even with great fame and popularity—he was a runner-up in the 1969 Gallup Poll of the most admired man in America—Paul Harvey never forgot his Midwestern roots … or his father’s sacrifice. He supported many of the Memorial Fund’s efforts over the years, and he was a featured speaker at the 1992 Candlelight Vigil at the freshly dedicated Memorial in Washington, DC. A clip of his remarks can be found on the NLEOMF You Tube channel.
Mr. Harvey’s wife, Lynne Cooper Harvey, died in 2008. He is survived by son Paul. Rest in peace, friend.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
A Special Visitor: U.S. Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan
Mark Sullivan has dedicated more than 25 years of his life to the United States Secret Service, and he knows the agency, its mission and history inside out. He has handled numerous assignments during his career, including the Presidential Protection detail. He even helped to protect a young Chelsea Clinton when she was enrolled at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC – the same school that President Obama’s daughters, Sasha and Malia, now attend.On Monday morning, Mr. Sullivan, who now serves as Director of the Secret Service, stopped by the NLEOMF’s Visitors Center & Store to take a look at a special “Protecting the President” exhibit that has been on display for the past two months. The exhibit chronicles the history of the Secret Service, explains its role and the role of local law enforcement in protecting the President, and showcases some of the “tools of the trade” that special agents and other law enforcement officers use in this critical work. It also honors the 17 law enforcement officers—federal, state and local—who have died in the line of duty while protecting the President throughout U.S. history.
The exhibit was put together by the NLEOMF’s Museum Programs team, led by Laurie Baty and including Jenifer Ashton, Betsy Bowers, Kim Hanser and Vanya Scott. They were assisted by Mike Sampson, archivist for the Secret Service; Sgt. Nick Breul, who serves as historian for the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, DC; and Eshanthi Ranasinghe, of the NLEOMF Communications staff. Director Sullivan expressed appreciation for the exhibit, its attention to detail and its role in educating the public—in particular, the thousands of people who visited and walked by 7th and D Streets, NW, during Inauguration weekend—about the work of the Secret Service and its partners.
Director Sullivan even apologized for not getting to the exhibit earlier, but explained that he was “a little busy” with the Inauguration—the largest and most scrutinized in history. Craig Floyd, NLEOMF Chairman and CEO, presented Director Sullivan with a special commemorative badge the Memorial Fund created to honor law enforcement’s role in the Inauguration. (The badges are numbered, and Director Sullivan received one of the low “single-digit” badges. Mr. Floyd explained that Badges #1 and #2 were reserved for the men whose names appear on them: the President and Vice President.) Director Sullivan returned the favor, presenting special Secret Service Inaugural coins to NLEOMF staff.If you haven’t had a chance to visit the “Protecting the President” exhibit, you had better do so quickly. It is coming down this week to make room for new displays leading up to National Police Week. The Visitors Center & Store is located at 400 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC. You can always view the exhibit content online on the NLEOMF website.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
National Law Enforcement Museum Remains on Track
By Craig W. Floyd
Chairman and CEO, NLEOMF
I wanted to share some news with you about a new timeline for the National Law Enforcement Museum project and some cost-saving measures that our Board of Directors approved last week.
In order to keep the project on track despite the stark economic realities our nation is facing, the Board developed and approved a plan to extend the timeline for the Museum and implement a number of prudent cost-saving measures. The new plan calls for construction to commence in the fall of 2010, with completion expected by mid-2013. The cost of the project will be reduced by $29 million, largely the result of moving off-site an entire level of administrative space intended for staff, and scrapping plans to relocate a maze of utility lines that run under a portion of the land Congress has designated for the Museum. (Specific details are included in this news release.)
The building will be reduced in size, but the new plan retains two-thirds of the exhibit space, a theater, a Museum shop and dedicated areas for education and research. Please be assured that we are also committed to honoring all of the recognition opportunities that have already been secured by you and our other generous donors. These changes will allow us to build the first-ever National Law Enforcement Museum sooner, rather than later.
I want to thank all of our supporters for your continued patience, understanding and support during these very difficult economic times. The story of law enforcement's extraordinary contributions to our nation needs and deserves to be told. We are going to make it happen.
Chairman and CEO, NLEOMF
I wanted to share some news with you about a new timeline for the National Law Enforcement Museum project and some cost-saving measures that our Board of Directors approved last week.
In order to keep the project on track despite the stark economic realities our nation is facing, the Board developed and approved a plan to extend the timeline for the Museum and implement a number of prudent cost-saving measures. The new plan calls for construction to commence in the fall of 2010, with completion expected by mid-2013. The cost of the project will be reduced by $29 million, largely the result of moving off-site an entire level of administrative space intended for staff, and scrapping plans to relocate a maze of utility lines that run under a portion of the land Congress has designated for the Museum. (Specific details are included in this news release.)
The building will be reduced in size, but the new plan retains two-thirds of the exhibit space, a theater, a Museum shop and dedicated areas for education and research. Please be assured that we are also committed to honoring all of the recognition opportunities that have already been secured by you and our other generous donors. These changes will allow us to build the first-ever National Law Enforcement Museum sooner, rather than later.
I want to thank all of our supporters for your continued patience, understanding and support during these very difficult economic times. The story of law enforcement's extraordinary contributions to our nation needs and deserves to be told. We are going to make it happen.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Memorial in the Snow
Memorial Fund staff went out Tuesday and took beautiful pictures of the Memorial after a winter storm that blew through most of the north east. We hope you enjoy the photos!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Inauguration Day at the NLEOMF Visitors Center
As hundreds of thousands--even millions--of people jammed the Capitol grounds, the National Mall and Pennyslvania Avenue to witness the Inauguration of President Barack Obama, about a dozen people who couldn't get through the security checkpoint at 7th and D Streets, NW, paused in the NLEOMF Visitors Center to watch this historic moment unfold.
The Visitors Center has no cable TV hookup nor a big plasma screen--only a modest laptop computer streaming CCN.com over a mostly reliable wireless network. But that didn't matter to the onlookers -- the jail psychologist with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, two charter bus drivers, a family from the DC area and even a Washington Post reporter, among others.
They watched with intensity and awe as President Obama took the oath of office and delivered his Inaugural address. As the throngs at the Capitol and on the Mall cheered the new President, so did the small group at the Visitors Center. As people there in person repeated "Amen" to the Rev. Joseph Lowery as he completed the benediction, so did the gathering at the Visitors Center. And as the millions on the Mall left with a sense of having witnessed a defining moment in American history, so did they folks at the Visitors Center.
The NLEOMF salutes all of the law enforcement officers--federal, state and local--from across the country who are in Washington, DC, to ensure the safety and protection of everyone taking part in this, the 56th Presidential Inauguration. And in our hearts, as well as in a special exhibit at the Visitors Center, we pay special tribute to the 17 law enforcement officers who, throughout U.S. history, lost their lives protecting the President or, in some cases, Presidential candidates. Their honorable service in safeguarding our democracy will always be remembered on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.
The Visitors Center has no cable TV hookup nor a big plasma screen--only a modest laptop computer streaming CCN.com over a mostly reliable wireless network. But that didn't matter to the onlookers -- the jail psychologist with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, two charter bus drivers, a family from the DC area and even a Washington Post reporter, among others.
They watched with intensity and awe as President Obama took the oath of office and delivered his Inaugural address. As the throngs at the Capitol and on the Mall cheered the new President, so did the small group at the Visitors Center. As people there in person repeated "Amen" to the Rev. Joseph Lowery as he completed the benediction, so did the gathering at the Visitors Center. And as the millions on the Mall left with a sense of having witnessed a defining moment in American history, so did they folks at the Visitors Center.
The NLEOMF salutes all of the law enforcement officers--federal, state and local--from across the country who are in Washington, DC, to ensure the safety and protection of everyone taking part in this, the 56th Presidential Inauguration. And in our hearts, as well as in a special exhibit at the Visitors Center, we pay special tribute to the 17 law enforcement officers who, throughout U.S. history, lost their lives protecting the President or, in some cases, Presidential candidates. Their honorable service in safeguarding our democracy will always be remembered on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.
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