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LAW ENFORCEMENTMEMORIAL DAY
S U N D A Y , M A Y 1 5 , 2 0 1 6Join us in honoring Minnesota's fallen officers
May 15this National Peace Officers Memorial Day.
On this day, we honor law enforcement officerswho have lost their lives in the course of protectingand serving their communities.
In Minnesota, at least law enforcementofficers have died in the line of duty since 1874.
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The observance of Law Enforcement Memorial Day beginswith the Standing of the Guard, which will commence onSaturday, May 14th at 7:00 pm.
Officers from law enforcement agencies all over Minnesotawill stand in silent vigil for 20-minute shifts around thePeace Officers Memorial at the State Capitol grounds.
This vigil will continue throughout the night and into thefollowing day.
The Standing of the Guard will conclude at 7:00 pm onSunday, May 15th.
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Memorial Day Ceremonies
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Throughout the Standing of the Guard, members of theelite Law Enforcement Memorial Association Honor Guardwill walk along the Thin Blue Line that extends the lengthof the Peace Officers Memorial. This line, which isilluminated at night, represents law enforcement's role asthe final barrier between our citizens and chaos.
Also during the Standingof the Guard, fallenofficers' surviving familymembers are invited toparticipate in a wreathlaying ceremony to honortheir loved one's memory.
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While an Honor Guardmember plays taps onthe bugle, a wreathemblazoned with thefallen officer's name andEOW, or end of watch,is placed in front of themonument. Often,officers from the fallenofficer's home agencywill stand guard whilethe wreath is on display.
Shift changes during the Standing of the Guard are markedby announcing a fallen officer's name and ringing theMemorial Bell three times.
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After the Standing of the Guard, the Law EnforcementMemorial Association (LEMA) will host a CandlelightService. All are welcome to attend this moving celebration,which pays tribute to Minnesota's fallen officers.
At 7:25 pm, a parade of Honor Guards from variousMinnesota agencies will march across the Wabasha StreetBridge to the State Capitol grounds.
There, they will stand at parade rest during the CandlelightService, which will feature a guest speaker, police bagpipemusic, vocal solos, and full music compositions.
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During the Candlelight Service, survivors are invited tocome forward to adorn a large wooden badge with whitecarnations in honor of their fallen officer.
The Candlelight Service will conclude with a ceremonialfiring party, taps, and final musical selections.
The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association(MPPOA) will host a public reception following theCandlelight Service at the St. Paul National Guard Armory,located just across the street from the Peace OfficersMemorial at 600 Cedar Street.
For more information about Law Enforcement MemorialDay, please contact Jeff Beahen at 763-228-4930 [email protected].
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LEMA HistoryThe Minnesota Law Enforcement Memorial Association(LEMA) was founded in 1974 by Jim Crawford, then theChief of Police in Golden Valley. Prior to that post, Jimserved for eleven years as a uniformed patrol officer withthe Edina Police Department, followed by another sevenyears as the Chief of Police in North St. Paul.
Throughout his career, Jim attendedfunerals for many fallen officers. Jimand others would stand guard at theseevents, but they did so in an informalcapacity. It occurred to Jim that lawenforcement officers killed in the line ofduty should receive full honors, muchlike fallen soldiers in the military.
Jim was surprised to learn that there was no organizationdedicated to honoring fallen law enforcement officers, norwas there a monument where members of the communitycould go to pay their respects.
Determined to change this, Jim invited delegates fromseveral police organizations to meet and discuss theestablishment of a law enforcement memorial.
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Some of the officers who attended this meetingvolunteered to be on a task force to raise funds for amemorial. They organized and decided to form a nonprofitassociation. Right away, the group considered erecting amonument in honor of law enforcement officers on theState Capitol grounds, but their request was not initiallywell-received.
A Minneapolis-St. Paul AirportPolice captain suggested thatthe monument should go up onairport grounds instead—notonly would it be highly visibleto the public, it would also besecure.
The Metropolitan AirportsCommission approved the idea,and the first law enforcementmemorial monument waserected right in the middle ofthe main concourse in 1977.
When the airport began to expand, LEMA was told theywould have to relocate the monument. By that time, othermemorials had been built on State Capitol grounds, and thestate was more receptive to LEMA's request. In 1995, thenew memorial was constructed on State Capitol grounds,where it stands today.
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Although LEMA was formed with the express purpose ofbuilding a memorial to honor Minnesota peace officers,today the organization fulfills many functions.
Programs & Services
Memorial
Honor Guard
Survivors
Preservation and maintenance of the Peace OfficersMemorial monument.Hosting an annual ecumenical church service.Managing and conducting local services on NationalLaw Enforcement Memorial Day (May 15th).
Management and supervision of a volunteer HonorGuard, which renders military honors at every fallenofficer's funeral.Conducting an Honor Guard training camp at CampRipley, which draws officers from all over the country.
Offering counseling for family members following thedeath of an officer.Assisting surviving families with identifying andcollecting all federal, state, and local benefits to whichthey may be entitled.Management of a college scholarship program for theimmediate family members of fallen officers.
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Honor GuardFormed in 1991, the LEMA Honor Guard is a ceremonial unitof active duty law enforcement officers from departmentsthroughout Minnesota. This 30 member unit is trained toprovide military honors at funerals for Minnesota peaceofficers who have died in the line of duty.
LEMA Honor Guard members are proud to train with the3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment--commonly referred to as 'TheOld Guard'--at Fort Myer, Virginia.
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LEMA sponsors an annual Honor Guard training camp,which was the first non-military Honor Guard trainingoffered in the U.S.
Every year, law enforcement honor guards from Minnesotaand neighboring states come to the Minnesota ArmyNational Guard training center at Camp Ripley to practicemilitary drill and ceremony. Officers learn how to post andpresent colors, fire ceremonial salutes with rifle, handgun,and shotgun, and how to stand ceremonial guard duty.
LEMA Honor Guard members receive cross training on allhonor guard duties, but are assigned to one of three mainteams:
The Colors TeamSpecializes in presenting, retiring, and guarding theflags at funerals and special events.
The Rifle TeamProvides ceremonial guard duty and fires the “threevolleys” at police funerals.
The Casket TeamFunctions as pallbearers, casket guards, and fold theAmerican flag that may be draped over the casket atlaw enforcement funerals.
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Core ValuesLEMA's mission is to honor law enforcement officers whohave died in the line of duty, and to provide immediate andlasting support to the fallen officer's family.
Whenever a Minnesota officer dies in the line of duty,LEMA works with the family, home law enforcementagency, church, and funeral home to coordinate thememorial services for the fallen officer.
Specially trained LEMA Honor Guard members thenconduct the actual service, supplying flag details, casketteams, rifle parties, a flag fold, bugle and other honorsdetails as required.
LEMA also provide an incident management plan thatincludes preparations for dealing with the media, crowdcontrol, procession and motorcade assignments, cemeteryplanning and other details that can be overwhelming toboth the family and agency involved.
Most importantly, LEMA is committed to supporting thesurviving family long after a fallen officer is laid to rest.
Support LEMALEMA relies on charitable donations to carry out its missionof honoring fallen law enforcement officers and providingsupport to the families who are left behind.
To help LEMA provide these much needed services, pleasevisit our website at or contact us at .
Individual memberships start at just $25 a year, and newmembers receive an exclusive annual LEMA challenge coin.
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www.mnlema.org/support/shop-to-support
You can also support LEMA while you shop at select retailerssuch as Amazon.com and Target.com. For more information,go to .
What?
Why?
When?
Where?
Law Enforcement Memorial DayCandlelight Service
To honor the fallen law enforcement officerswho lost their lives while protecting and servingtheir communities.
Sunday, May 15, 2016 at 7:25 pm
Minnesota Peace Officers Memorial6 East 12th StreetSt. Paul, MN 55155
All are welcome
mnlema.org | 651.357.5631 | [email protected]
Minnesota Law Enforcement Memorial Association
LEMA is dedicated to assisting the familiesand home agencies of those law enforcement officers
who have died in the line of duty.
