The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington DC honors police and law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty, including those killed by Billy the Kid and Lee Harvey Oswald. Designed by Davis Buckley Architects, new names are added every May during National Police Week. The Memorial is open 24/7 and free to visit.
Dedicated in 1991, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is a testament to the police and law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty to protect the people of the United States. The monument, which honors federal, state and local officials, consists of two curved marble walls, each 304 feet (92.7 meters) long. Located in Washington DC, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial includes a mention of the first known police officer to die in the line of duty, Deputy Sheriff Isaac Smith of New York, who died on May 17, 1792.
In addition to Deputy Sheriff Isaac Smith, officers listed include Robert Olinger (d. 1881) and James Bell (d. 1881) who were killed by outlaw “Billy the Kid” William H. Bonney (1859-1881), also known as Henry McCarty and William Antrim. Dallas officer JD Tippit (1924-1963) is also mentioned on the Memorial. Tippit was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald (1939-1963) after Oswald killed United States President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) on November 3, 1963. Also listed on the Memorial are all 72 officers who died in the terrorist attacks of the September 11, 2001, the deadliest day in the history of law enforcement in the United States. Seventy-one of the officers died in New York City while the remaining officer, Richard Guadagno of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, died when United Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania.
Architect Davis Buckley designed the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Other projects Davis Buckley Architects have been involved with include the National Museum of the American Indian, the Watergate Hotel and Restaurant, and the United States Courthouse. The company has received awards such as the Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation from the DC Historic Preservation Office in 2005 for the Decatur House Museum Historic Kitchen and the Presidential Design Award from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2002 for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.
New names are added every May during National Police Week. President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as Peace Officers’ Remembrance Day and the week around May 15 as National Police Week in 1963. Names submitted must be approved by the memorial’s names committee to be added to the walls of the memorial.
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is located on three acres on E Street between Fourth and Fifth Streets NW in Judiciary Square in Washington DC Open 24 hours a day of the year, the Memorial offers directories at each entrance to help locate a particular officer. The visit to the Memorial is free.
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