National Police Memorial Day

[leigh kitchen]

I first heard of National Police Memorial Days in 2003, when I became aware of one in Australia, & in 2004 one was set up in East Timor.

It caught on in the UK a few years ago too, the Police Roll of Honour Trust setting up a memorial day to commemorate about 4,000 police officers who had lost their lives whilst on duty - the first recorded death of a constable in the United Kingdom was in 1680, name unknown.

The aim of National Police Memorial Day is to:

Remember police officers who have been killed or died on duty

Demonstrate to relatives, friends and colleagues of fallen officers that their sacrifice is not forgotten

Recognise annually the dedication to duty and courage displayed by police officers

There is a National Police Memorial Day Trust, set up by "Lethal Weapon" film director & bon viveur Michael Winner in 1986 & which suceeded in having small memorials placed at or near the spots where individual police officers died & ultimately a national memorial in London, unveiled in April 2005. The charity's activities include "the promotion of good citizenship through the provisions and maintenance of a commemorative day and/or events in each year dedicated to the memorial of police officers killed in the execution of their hazardous duties" & "to relieve the need of police officers or their dependants arising from the special hazards of police duty or who are in conditions of need as a result of serious illness"

I don't know if these organistations are related or much else about them, & I don't even know when the memorial day is in the UK, it appears to be around 27th / 28th September, perhaps the nearest Sunday to a particular date in that month?

I'm posting this thread in the hope of flushing out forum member Nemesis, who should be able to show & tell us a lot about the Australian & East Timorese National Police Memorial Days & others with knowledge or involvement.

Depending on how this thread develops it may be more appropriate for it to be placed in the in Police Forces of The World section of the forum rather than the British & Commonwealth Police section.

This UK "tie-tack"is sold on behalf of "National Police Memorial Day":

Edited May 14, 2009 by leigh kitchen