Law Enforcement Appreciation Week

WHEREAS, every day a man or woman wearing a law enforcement uniform representing one of the over 900,000 law enforcement officers nationwide leaves their home, friends and loved ones to enter a world of uncertainty; and

WHEREAS, nearly 60,000 acts of violence are committed against officers each year resulting in nearly 15,000 injuries with nearly 1,600 officers losing their lives in the line of duty in the past decade, averaging an officer’s death every 53 hours; and

WHEREAS, officers have earned the respect of the general public for their dedication and contribution to people’s lives by working together on the Thin Blue Line, separating the good from total chaos; and

WHEREAS, we encourage area churches, synagogues and mosques to set aside a time to publicly acknowledge their members that belong to the law enforcement community, and offer a prayer for their blessing and protection; and

WHEREAS, we encourage Arlington County citizens to publicly recognize our law enforcement officers by doing random acts of kindness; and

WHEREAS, we encourage our citizens to wear the color blue during the week of May 1, 2016 through May 8, 2016 to show support for our local law enforcement officers;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Libby Garvey, Chair of the County Board of Arlington, Virginia, do hereby proclaim May 1, 2016 through May 8, 2016 as

LAW ENFORCEMENT APPRECIATION WEEK

as a time to thank our law enforcement officers throughout Arlington County, and to encourage all of our citizens to recognize our law enforcement officers for the significant impacts they have made and continue to make in keeping our community safe.