The V.I. Police Department has planned a series of activities over the weekend to commemorate National Police Day, according to a news release issued Thursday by the department.
Police Commissioner designee Delroy Richards Sr. said Police Week is a time to reflect on the sacrifices officers have made and continue to make for the community.
“Law enforcement is a vital part of this community and we invite the community to participate in the activities," he said. "I take this opportunity to salute our very own law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives while protecting this community and I honor all our officers who put their lives on the line daily to keep this community safe.”
On St. Croix, the final three days of Police Week Activities are:
Friday
– Graveside visitation: Motorcade begins at 8 a.m. starting from the Patrick Sweeney Headquarters to the Christiansted, Kingshill and Frederiksted Cemeteries. The visit will be immediately followed by a Peace Officer Memorial Ceremony at 10 a.m. in the Violet Damideaux Pavilion at the Patrick Sweeney Headquarters in Estate Golden Grove.
– The Police Ball, themed as “Gangsters and Flappers,” begins at 8 p.m. at the Violet Damideaux Pavilion.
Saturday
– Criminal Investigation Bureau Crucian Pig Roast at the Altona Lagoon Complex in Gallows Bay, beginning at noon.
Sunday
– Golf Tournament, beginning at 9 a.m. at the St. Croix Carambola Golf Course.
The observation of National Police Week began in 1962 when President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation designating May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week.
Tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world converge on Washington, D.C. to participate in planned events honoring those who have died in the line of duty. The Memorial Service began in 1982 as a gathering in Senate Park of approximately 120 survivors and supporters of law enforcement. Decades later, the event, more commonly known as National Police Week, has grown to a series of events which attracts thousands of survivors and law enforcement officers to the nation’s capital each year.
