As I enter my 19th year with the department I am excited to be participating in the Police Unity Tour for the second time. With your support, I can "Ride for Those Who Died” as we raise awareness about America’s law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.
This year I will be riding in memory of Officer Kerrie Orozco of the Omaha Police Department EOW 05/20/2015. Kerrie gave birth to her first child 3 months premature. In an effort to conserve her maternity leave, she returned to work while her daughter continued to grow in the NICU. The day before her daughter was to be discharged from the hospital and Kerrie planned to take her maternity leave, she was shot and killed while serving an arrest warrant. Kerrie had 6.5 years sworn and was extremely active in her department and community, including leading a Special Olympics event.
As a mom in law enforcement this story hits very close to home. While I cannot bring Kerrie back, I can honor her memory by riding and raising funds to ensure we never forget the sacrifices of the over 23,000 Law Enforcement Officers that have been killed in the line of duty in the United States.
Today in the United States, some 900,000 law enforcement officers put their lives on the line for the safety and protection of their communities. But that protection comes at a very high price for some.
A few sobering statistics:
Every 61 hours a law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty protecting our families and communities
Each year, there are over 58,000 assaults on law enforcement officers
On average, 146 officers are killed in the line of duty each year
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial (NLEOM) honors our nation's fallen law enforcement heroes who have died in the line of duty. Their mission is to tell the story of America’s law enforcement officers, keep their memories alive, and make it safer for those who serve. To date, the Police Unity Tour has raised more than $20 million dollars for the NLEOM.
Your support of the Police Unity Tour helps raise money for the National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial and the National Law Enforcement Museum, which is currently under construction across from the Memorial. Your donation helps sponsor specific Memorial programs like the Officer of the Month Award, Recently Fallen Alert notifications, and other special projects. Past projects funded by the Police Unity Tour include the $1.1 million dollar re-engraving of every fallen officer's name on the Memorial wall. The Police Unity Tour is also funding the purchase and installation of electronic kiosks at the Memorial to assist those visiting the site to quickly locate the names of our fallen on the Memorial wall.
With every dollar that I raise for the Police Unity Tour, I’m doing my part to honor our nation’s fallen law enforcement officers and support the survivors left behind. Your donation will truly make a difference!
Thank you for your generosity and support!