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 Our law enforcement officers have extraordinarily tough jobs.
They regularly work in dangerous environments and in difficult,
high-tension situations. And they often face challenges deeply
rooted in systemic problems and broader social issues. These
professionals serve to protect their communities and strengthen
their Nation, and they deserve to go home safely to their loved ones
at the end of each shift. As President, I am committed to making
sure America's dedicated police officers receive the support and
recognition they have earned, and to doing all I can to protect
those who protect us.
 One important way to make policing safer and more effective is by
continuing to enhance relations and trust between law enforcement
and the neighborhoods they serve. This will make it easier and safer
for police officers to do their jobs, and it will strengthen the
places we live and work. This important task will require our Nation
-- our communities, our law enforcement, and our leaders at every
level -- to come together to commit to meeting this challenge and
moving our country forward, block by block and neighborhood by
neighborhood. As President, I firmly believe it is within our power
to make progress in our time, and I am dedicated to partnering with
all those who are willing to do this necessary work.
My Administration is taking concrete steps to implement the
commonsense, pragmatic recommendations my Task Force on 21st Century
Policing put forward based on input from law enforcement personnel
as well as criminal justice experts, community leaders, and civil
liberties advocates. And we are engaging with local jurisdictions so
they can begin to make the changes that will help ensure that police
officers and their communities are partners in battling crime and
that everyone feels safe on and off the job.
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Our Nation's police officers are mentors in our schools, familiar
faces on the corner, and pillars of our communities. They keep our
borders secure and our roads safe, and in times of crisis, they rush
toward tragedy. They are hardworking mothers, fathers, daughters,
and sons who have dedicated their lives to public service, working
every day to build a brighter future for their families and their
Nation. Their selfless commitment and daily sacrifice represent what
is possible for every city, town, and reservation in America, and
our country has an enormous opportunity to lift up the very best law
enforcement personnel as examples -- not just to other officers, but
to all who aspire to lives of good citizenship. This week and every
week, let us remember the patriots who laid down their lives for
ours and honor all who strive to make our Nation more safe, more
free, and more just.
By a joint resolution approved October 1, 1962, as amended (76 Stat. 676), and
by Public Law 103-322, as amended (36 U.S.C. 136-137), the President has been
authorized and requested to designate May 15 of each year as "Peace Officers
Memorial Day" and the week in which it falls as "Police Week."
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do
hereby proclaim May 15, 2015, as Peace Officers Memorial Day and May 10 through
May 16, 2015, as Police Week. I call upon all Americans to observe these events
with appropriate ceremonies and activities. I also call on the Governors of the
United States and its Territories, and appropriate officials of all units of
government, to direct that the flag be flown at half-staff on Peace Officers
Memorial Day. I further encourage all Americans to display the flag at
half-staff from their homes and businesses on that day.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of May, in the
year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-ninth.
BARACK OBAMA |
