Casper Girl Scouts To Salute Law Enforcement

Everyone in and around Casper is invited to attend a candlelight vigil, aimed to honor law enforcement officers. Families, friends and neighbors are welcome to attend this free event. RSVP's are request by phone or email, if you'd like to attend so that enough candles can be gathered.

National Police Week 2012 May 13-19

In 1962, President Kennedy proclaimed May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which May 15th falls, as National Police Week, meaning that National Police Week 2012 will be Sunday, May 13th through Saturday, May 19th.

24th Annual Candlelight Vigil—May 13, 2012

The Candlelight Vigil is traditionally held on May 13th, regardless of the day of the week on which it falls. National Peace Officers Memorial Day Service, hosted by the Fraternal Order of Police and the Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary is always held on May 15th, again, regardless of the day of the week on which it falls.

C.O.P.S

Each year, between 140 and 160 officers are killed in the line of duty and their families and co-workers are left to cope with the tragic loss. C.O.P.S. provides resources to help them rebuild their shattered lives. There is no membership fee to join C.O.P.S., for the price paid is already too high.

C.O.P.S. was organized in 1984 with 110 individual members. Today C.O.P.S. membership is over 15,000 families. Members include spouses, children, parents, siblings, significant others, and affected co-workers of officers killed in the line of duty according to Federal government criteria. C.O.P.S. is governed by a National Board of law enforcement survivors. All programs and services are administered by the National Office in Camdenton, Missouri. Chapters function in several states at the grass-roots level.

C.O.P.S. programs for survivors include the National Police Survivors' Conference held each May during National Police Week, scholarships, peer-support at the national, state, and local levels, "C.O.P.S. Kids" counseling reimbursement program, the "C.O.P.S. Kids" Summer Camp, "C.O.P.S. Teens" Outward Bound experience for young adults, special retreats for spouses, parents, siblings, adult children, in-laws, and co-workers, trial and parole support, and other assistance programs.

C.O.P.S. knows that a survivor's level of distress is directly affected by the agency's response to the tragedy. C.O.P.S., therefore, offers training and assistance to law enforcement agencies nationwide on how to respond to the tragic loss of a member of the law enforcement profession. C.O.P.S. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. C.O.P.S. programs and services are funded by grants and donations. Law Enforcement agencies and organizations who support C.O.P.S. at the $250 level or above will be identified as “Partners in Law Enforcement” with C.O.P.S. and will be included on a “Partners” banner that will be displayed at National Police Week.

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

On average, one law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty somewhere in the United States every 53 hours. Since the first known line-of-duty death in 1791, more than 19,000 U.S. law enforcement officers have made the ultimate sacrifice.

The Memorial Fund serves as a nationwide clearinghouse of information and statistics on law enforcement line-of-duty deaths. Our Research Department maintains a comprehensive database on these deaths, and we publish regular Research Bulletins examining trends and issues in officer fatalities. http://www.nleomf.org/

Michelle Collins, Casper Service Unit Manager can be reached at 262-6891 or via email: caspergirlscouts@yahoo.com