The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

Statement by The Honorable Ben Nighthorse Campbell (ret.),
Congressional Record, December 7, 2004

As a former Sacramento County (CA) Sheriff's Deputy, I have, throughout my congressional career, zealously sought to ensure the safety and effectiveness of America's federal, state and local law enforcement officers. I have also worked hard to promote a better understanding and appreciation of law enforcement's extraordinary service and sacrifice by the American public.

Underscoring this commitment, I was proud to have authored a number of important laws, including the National Law Enforcement Museum Act (Public Law 106-492); the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2003 (S. 253); the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Act; and the resolution passed each year to designate May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day. I want to take this opportunity to also commend my Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director, Larry Vigil, for all of his good work in getting these important initiatives passed on behalf of law enforcement.

As I conclude my tenure in the United States Senate, I challenge my colleagues and those who will follow in my footsteps to continue this valuable and necessary work to support those brave individuals who are putting their lives at risk each and every day for our safety and protection. There are currently some 870,000 sworn law enforcement officers serving our nation. Each year, on average, 167 officers are killed in the line of duty-that is one officer killed somewhere in America every 53 hours. Roughly 58,000 officers are assaulted each year, resulting in about 17,000 injuries. It is the most dangerous profession in our nation, and also one of the most important.

An inscription on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, just a few blocks from here in a place called Judiciary Square, says it best: "In valor there is hope." As long as there are men and women among us who are willing to put their lives on the line for others, there is indeed great hope for this nation of ours.

But, it must be remembered that our officers cannot do their job effectively or safely without the necessary resources. This means the best possible training and equipment, especially bullet-resistant vests for every officer. Studies have clearly shown that these vests save Police lives. In fact, nearly 3,000 Police lives have been saved by bullet resistant vests since they first started being used some 30 years ago.

But, another vital resource that our officers need is the trust and support of the American public they serve. That is why one of my proudest achievements as a legislator and former law enforcement officer was authoring the law to establish a National Law Enforcement Museum here in our Nation's capital. The U.S. Department of Justice has determined that only about one out of five Americans has any direct contact with a law enforcement officer during the course of a normal year, and most of those contacts are traffic stops. The fact is that most of our citizens draw their conclusions about law enforcement from the fictional works of Hollywood and the often sensationalized reporting by the media. Most Americans do not truly understand, nor fully appreciate the tremendous worth of the law enforcement profession to our Nation.

But all of that will soon change when the doors of the National Law Enforcement Museum open, which is expected to happen in 2011. Finally, we will have a popular destination here in Washington, DC, devoted to telling law enforcement's true story of selfless service and supreme sacrifice. Through some of the most entertaining and stimulating exhibit ideas I have ever seen for a museum, visitors will experience what it is like to walk in the shoes of a Police officer, and to make split-second, life-or-death decisions. They will understand the vital roles our officers played in every pivotal moment of our Nation's history, including the taming of the Wild West, and the wars against gangsters, drug lords and now, terrorists. In short, this museum will vastly increase public understanding and support for law enforcement, and the museum's research repository will contribute greatly to promoting Police safety. It will truly be a must-see destination in our Nation's capital and, appropriately, it will be located right across the street from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

I want to commend Craig W. Floyd, the chairman of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, his talented staff and dedicated board of directors for working so hard to make this museum a reality, just like they made the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial a reality in 1991. Neither of these projects would be successful, though, without the generous funding provided by citizens and corporations across this country and I am grateful to see that support pouring in for the museum.

I pledge my continued full support for this museum project and I challenge my colleagues to do the same. That means ensuring that during the public approval process the integrity and importance of this museum as a major visual presence in Judiciary Square must not be compromised in any way.

Those dedicated public servants of the law enforcement profession — especially the more than 16,500 officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the performance of duty, and their families--deserve no less.