Media Release: National Police Remembrance Day commemorates fallen colleagues
Release Date: Thursday, September 29 2011, 07:26 AM
Australian police will recognise 750 officers who lost their lives in the line of duty as part of National Police Remembrance Day today.
This year, Queensland Police officers Sergeant Daniel Stiller and Detective Senior Constable Damian Leeding will have their names added to National Police Memorial wall in Canberra, recognising those who have given their lives since the first recorded police death in 1803.
This year’s event will focus on the role of women in policing, with 13 policewomen listed on the National Police Memorial wall since the appointment of the first female police officers in 1915.
To mark the fifth anniversary of the National Police Memorial, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) will host a dusk service this evening to honour those fallen police officers.
AFP Commissioner Tony Negus said National Police Remembrance Day was a significant occasion to remember those officers who had put their lives on the line to serve the community.
“This day helps us to acknowledge the dangers of the profession, the stresses it places on individuals and the challenges that lie ahead,” he said.
“These officers have made the ultimate sacrifice in upholding the law and providing a secure environment for their communities.
“We are very proud to be recognising the role of women in our police forces, who continue to make an integral contribution to policing in Australia and overseas.”
National Police Remembrance Day will begin with a dawn service at Queanbeyan Police Station (5.30am) where the touchstones featuring the names of Sergeant Daniel Stiller and Detective Senior Constable Damian Leeding will be blessed. During the day these touchstones will be installed on the Memorial.
The evening service at 5pm at Kings Park will be preceded by a parade to the memorial by police recruits, serving officers and affiliated law enforcement groups to the beat of the AFP Pipes and Drums.
Members of the public are invited to attend the evening service and are advised to arrive at the National Police Memorial to be seated by no later than 5pm.
National Police Remembrance Day is commemorated each year on 29 September, the feast day of Saint Michael the Archangel and Patron Saint of Police.
Media enquiries:
AFP National Media Team
Phone: (02) 6131 6333
Additional information:
NPRD Website
http://www.npm.org.au/