In 1962, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed every May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week it falls in as National Police Week.
It’s a time to honor the courage, sacrifice, and dedication of law enforcement officers at the federal, state, and local levels – and to specifically recognize those officers who have died or been disabled in the line of duty.
Among the officers being added to the Roll Call of Heroes this year are two members of the AFGE family who died last year: AFGE Local 2266 member Christopher David Maland, a Border Patrol Agent who was shot and killed Jan. 20, 2025, during a traffic stop on Interstate 91 in Vermont near the Canadian border; and former AFGE Local 3307 member Eric Cespedes, a supervisory Border Patrol agent who died July 11, 2025, after saving his children from a rip current while vacationing with his family in South Padre Island, Texas.
AFGE represents tens of thousands of dedicated law enforcement professionals across the federal government, including at the Border Patrol, Bureau of Prisons, Federal Protective Service, Transportation Security Administration, Coast Guard, National Park Service, Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Multiple events are being held in Washington in conjunction with National Police Week. They include a candlelight vigil hosted by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, the Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S) National Survivors Conference, and the Fraternal Order of Police National Peace Officers Memorial Service on May 15 at the West Front of the U.S. Capitol.
On the heels of Congress ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, a group of lawmakers have introduced legislation that would protect federal workers’ credit histories during any future shutdown.
Read More
Last Tuesday, the Trump administration abruptly separated more than 200 Foreign Service officers and 20 civil service employees – the latest round of cuts targeting diplomats and career federal workers at the State Department.
Read More
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed every May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week it falls in as National Police Week.
Read More
