Full Notification

The flag at the Clayton County Justice Center will be flown at half-staff on Friday May 15, 2015 in recognition of Peace Officer Memorial Day. Below is a letter this office received from Putnam County Sheriff Howard R. Still that we would like to share with you. In the letter Sheriff Still explains the meaning of Peace Officer Memorial Day and the importance of each and every officer acknowledging the importance of this memorable day. The Clayton County Sheriff's Office does recognize this day and will honor those that lost their lives by having our flag at half-staff. We would like each citizen to be aware of why we are doing it and ask each of you to take the time to recognize this day as well as the officers we remember.

There are only two (2) days when the United States Flag is required by law to be flown at half-staff. Those days are Memorial Day (the last Monday in May, in remembrance of all who lost their lives in the military service of our nation) from dawn until noon, and all day on Peace Officer Memorial Day (May 15th, in remembrance of all peace officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty).

National Peace Officer Memorial Day was established by the United States Congress and signed into law by President Kennedy in 1961 (Public Law 87-55). The law mandating the flag to be flown at half-staff was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Clinton in 1994 (Public Law 103-322). While the observance of military Memorial Day and the lowering of the flag on that day is relative well complied with, Peace Officer Memorial Day is virtually ignored all over the country. I suspect as you travel around your county this Friday you will see few, if any, flags flown at half-staff even on federal properties.

The American law enforcement community has never before been under assault like it is today and the misinformation being disseminated defies logic itself. We, as the autonomy of this venerable Office we hold affords us the ability to do so, need to inform the public of the dangers faced by all peace officers in this country. Over the last decade there have been an average of 58,930 assaults on law enforcement officers each year and one officer loses his life in the line duty every 58 hours. I believe the public is more unaware of these facts than they are unconcerned.

The National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, D.C. is almost unknown to most Americans, yet the names of 20,540 men and women are engraved on the walls there. The State of Georgia’s equivalent memorial is hidden behind the Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth where the average Georgian will never see it.

What disturbs me the most is the fact that it appears to me, at least in the State of Georgia, that Peace Officer Memorial Day is pretty much ignored by the law enforcement community itself. This is another “mirror problem” and if we don’t acknowledge the sacrifices of our colleagues and those who we send in harm’s way in our stead, how can we expect the public to support us? I urge you to see to it that Peace Officer Memorial Day is observed by your personnel and that the flags on properties under your control or influence are flown at half-staff this Friday. I would also suggest you contact your local news media organizations and inform them of the observance.

HRS
Sheriff Howard R. Sills
Putnam County, Georgia

As always thank you, the citizenry of Clayton County, for your continued support for not only this agency but our sister county and state agencies as well. Without your support our efforts would be futile.

Sheriff Victor Hill.