Fallen members of law enforcement are being remembered across the nation and flags will be at half-staff as May 15 is National Peace Officers Memorial Day.
Events were held across Alaska to remember and celebrate the lives of officers according to Alaska State Troopers Public Information Officer Megan Peters.
Peters: “It’s a time to celebrate our law enforcement officers that carry that burden that choose to be in the ranks whether it’s with the Troopers, the Anchorage Police Department, the Soldotna Police Department, or any of the local departments. And it’s great that we have people willing to do that job. Certainly it’s a sad time because we do reflect on the people who did lose their lives but it’s good to remember because it keeps us from falling back into a bad pattern.”
Peters is a family member of a fallen Alaska State Trooper; her father, James Moen was out on patrol when his aircraft crashed for unknown reasons near Lake Illiamna in 2001.
He had been a Wildlife Trooper for 18 years, some of which were spent in the Soldotna area.
Peters: “I grew up with my dad as a trooper, I would come home every single day and I would see that Trooper truck in our driveway and it was always a possibility to me that I would go into law enforcement. And while I’m not necessarily a commissioned officer I am very proud to work in the organization that my dad was proud to serve. And it gave me a lot of perspective growing up and being on that side of it and just seeing every day the good side of officers, how they are off duty, they really are people, they might be very serious on the job but they are people, they have families, they have loved ones that they want to go home to and I always respected the fact that my dad was a cop.”
Peters said the last local officer to die in the line of duty was Kenai Police Officer John Patrick Watson on December 25, 2003.
Governor Bill Walker released a statement yesterday saying, “Donna and I thank all of our dedicated law enforcement officers who work tirelessly in the face of danger to ensure our public safety. We also remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and lost their lives in the line of duty. I encourage all Alaskans to give thanks for our peace officers and their families, and for the selfless contributions they make to keep our communities safe.”