PEACE OFFICERS MEMORIAL DAY
Simi Valley Police Officers will join their fellow California Peace Officers in honoring the memory of all California law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty at the 40th Annual California Peace Officers Memorial ceremony to be held outside the State Capitol in Sacramento on Monday, May 2, 2016.
A City Council proclamation will be presented at its meeting on May 2, 2016, recognizing May 15, 2016, as Peace Officers Memorial Day, and on that day, Simi Valley Police Officers will join Peace Officers across the nation in observing National Peace Officers Memorial Day. Department Chaplains will be present at briefings on May 14, 15, and 17. All Officers will wear a black mourning ribbon across their badges, and flags at City facilities will be flown at half-staff in remembrance of those Peace Officers nationwide who have given their lives in service to their communities.
These days of recognition are observed in conjunction with National Police Week, which runs from May 15 through May 21, 2016. National Police Week was first proclaimed in 1962 by President John F. Kennedy. This week serves to recognize the contributions, efforts, and services of Peace Officers across our nation. Simi Valley Police Department vehicles will display blue ribbons on their antennas throughout National Police Week. Members of the public are also encouraged to tie a blue ribbon on their car as a show of support and remembrance. A limited number of ribbons will be available at the Simi Valley Police Department's front counter.
Peace Officers Memorial Day has a very special personal meaning for the members of the Simi Valley Police Department since the tragic death of Officer Michael Clark. On August 4, 1995, Officer Michael Clark responded to a call to help a seriously troubled member of the community. During the course of that call, Officer Clark became the first and only member of the Simi Valley Police Department to die in the line of duty.
The Simi Valley Police Department would like to remind the community that Peace Officers Memorial Day is a day set aside to honor the memory of those Officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives to make our communities safe.
