Police Week

May 15, 2008

You may Listen or download this story in .mp3 format. or as a .wav file

Profile America — Thursday, May 15th. This week, we honor those civil servants we too often take for granted — but to whom we owe much, including the peace and safety of our neighborhoods. It’s National Police Week, signed into law in 1962 by President John Kennedy. Nationwide, some 21,000 police departments will hold special events. In Titusville, Florida, ceremonies will take place at the American Police Hall of Fame and Museum. Each year in the U.S., there are nearly 1.4 million violent crimes committed and more than 10 million property crimes. At the same time, 122 police officers are killed in the line of duty, while more than 57,000 are assaulted annually. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2008, p. 270, 266, 265
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2008, t. 299, 325
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2008edition.html