NATIONAL POLICE WEEK 2020: HONORING AND REMEMBERING OUR FALLEN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

President John F. Kennedy declared the first ever Peace Officer Memorial Day on May 15th, 1962 saying, “…as a tribute to peace officers and in honor of peace officers who, through their courageous deeds, lost their lives or became disabled in the line of duty. This day has been observed in our country annually ever since.

On this day, and every day, it is fitting to honor those peace officers who gave their lives to protect ours, and to thank the law enforcement officers who serve for their dedication and service to our communities.”

We honor our fallen brothers and sisters during this week of National Police Week (May 10-16) as well as the family members, friends and fellow officers they left behind.

There was a total of 146 Line of Duty Deaths for 2019. The leading causes of death for 2019 were 48 deaths by gunfire, 45 deaths auto related, 35 other causes and 18 by heart attack. Sixty percent of the deaths in 2019 were felonious while 40% were non-felonious. [Stats from https://www.odmp.org/]

In Berks County there have been 18 line of duty deaths going back to 1907. Within the last 20 years the following officers were killed in the line of duty:

K-9 Deputy Kyle Pagerly of the Berks County Sheriff’s Department EOW: 06/29/2011
Officer Scott Wertz of the Reading Police Department EOW: 08/06/2006
Officer Michael Wise II of the Reading Police Department EOW: 06/05/2004
Officer John Ayello of the Hamburg Police Department EOW: 09/08/2000

For a full list of these officers and their stories visit http://berksheroes.org/?zone=/unionactive/view_page.cfm&page=HEROES