Flags at half-staff for Peace Officers Memorial Day in the US

by Rob Walker | May 15, 2008 at 12:35 pm

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Flags are flying at half mast throughout the United States today as government offices and state facilities paid their respects to Police who have fallen in the line of duty for Peace Officers Memorial Day.

While police officers actually have a statistically high death rate, with 12.1 officers per 100,000 dying on the job annually as opposed to 4.3 per 100,000 for the average person, many common jobs are much more dangerous statistically than law enforcement, such as farmers, airline pilots, construction workers and truck drivers.

The motivating factor here is that these men and women willfully put their lives on the line, knowing that if they die it will be in the course of their duty and that death may be a violent one at the hands of criminals.

Gov. Rendell has ordered all U.S. and Pennsylvania flags at state facilities throughout the commonwealth to be flown at half-staff today for Peace Officers Memorial Day.
Peace Officers Memorial Day was established federally in 1962, and Congress later authorized the president to direct that U.S. flags be flown at half-staff.

"On this day we will pay tribute to the local, state, and federal law enforcement officers who provide a vital public service and play an essential role in safeguarding the rights and freedoms of our citizens," Rendell said. "We honor them for their character, leadership, and courage."

Two police officers killed in the line of duty will be honored in Washington D.C. Thursday, as part of National Peace Officers Memorial Day. Trooper David Brinkerhoff died at the hands of friendly fire after being caught in the cross fire with Travis Trim. Officer Thomas Lindsey will also be honored. Lindsey was shot and killed during a traffic stop last April in Utica.

The names of those two officers are among 358 names added to the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

Flags on all state buildings are being flown at half staff Thursday. It is to honor police officers who've been killed in the line of duty as part of the National Peace Officers' Memorial Day.

This year, Nevada lost an NHP trooper and a tribal police officer.

Both were killed in traffic accidents while responding to emergencies.

Occupations more dangerous than being apolice officer

Number of deaths per 100,000 employed

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics,

Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries,2000

Timber cutting                                    122.1

Fishermen                                          108.3

Airplane pilots                                   100.8

Farmers                                                33.0

Miners                                                   30.0

Construction laborers                          28.3

Truck drivers                                         27.6

Groundskeepers                                  14.9

Laborers (non-construction)              13.2

Ranchers                                                13.0

Bus drivers                                             12.9

Police and detectives                           12.1

National average:                                   4.3