LAPD Officers Who Gave the Ultimate Sacrifice to be Memorialized by new City Street Signs and a Website that Shares their Stories

May 6, 2014

WHAT:
Chief Charlie Beck, Mayor Eric Garcetti and Councilmember Mitch Englander to announce new city street signs which will feature the names of the 207 LAPD officers who have died in the line of duty.

WHEN:
Thursday, May 8, 2014
10:00 am

WHERE:   
Police Administration Building
Deaton Hall Auditorium
100 West First Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

WHO:
Chief of Police Charlie Beck
Mayor Eric Garcetti
Councilmember Mitch Englander, Council District 12, Chair of the Council’s Public Safety Committee
Families and Friends of fallen LAPD Officers

WHY:
May is “Police Memorial Month,” and every year the LAPD hosts a memorial ceremony to honor officers who have died in the line of duty.  The new street signs are part of an effort to highlight the selfless contributions and acts of heroism displayed by 206 LAPD officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice to help and serve others.

The LAPD is working in concert with Councilmember Englander and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation to unveil specially designed street signs that will be posted at, or near the locations where the officers died.  For officers killed outside the city or country (veterans killed during combat operations), the signs will be erected near the police station where they were last assigned, near the Police Administration Building, or on the grounds of the Los Angeles Police Academy in Elysian Park.

For reference, a site survey, which included detailed maps and digital files, was conducted to ensure the most suitable placement for each memorial sign.

Due to the importance to honor the fallen officers, the Department conducted extensive research over a 10-month period and learned that many of the historic records for officers killed in the line of duty were incomplete or inaccurate.  Some of the officer’s names, dates and location of death were incorrect.  Efforts made to verify accurate information included consulting with the Los Angeles Police Museum, locating archived police homicide or traffic reports, searching newspaper articles, conducting site visits, interviewing former partners,  obtaining death records and numerous visits the Los Angeles County Coroners’ office.

Soon, a website will be launched providing an opportunity for the community to learn more about the officer, their acts of heroism and the person behind the Badge. In addition, the officer’s relatives, friends and former partners will be able to leave video tributes, letters, poems and photographs on the virtual memorial.

CONTACT:
For further information please call Media Relations at 213-486-5910.