Yuma honors fallen officers at 48th Annual Peace Officer Memorial Service
Samuel Kirk
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The Yuma community gathered Wednesday night to honor the lives of law enforcement officers lost in the line of duty.
Hosted by the Fraternal Order of Police Yuma Lodge #24, the 48th Annual Peace Officer Memorial Service took place outside the Yuma Police Department (YPD).
The event, held every May 15, brings together families, law enforcement agencies, and community members to remember the 37 officers who have died while serving the citizens of Yuma County.
This year, extra care was taken to prepare the memorial space.
“The city just did a wonderful job cleaning this up, making sure that this event will look good for the level of importance that it is,” said Sgt. Morgan Patterson YPD.
Names on the memorial wall date back more than a century. The earliest recorded line-of-duty death was that of Yuma County Sheriff Cornelius Sage on May 3, 1865. As solemn music played and flags were raised, families of fallen officers stood together in remembrance.
“The plaques that are on this wall are not just there to represent the person,” Patterson said. “They represent the family members, the friends, the colleagues…the members of the community who are also suffering from this loss.”
Organizers say the goal of the annual service is to ensure that every name engraved on the wall is never forgotten.