Kemp Orders Flags to Half-staff on Friday in Observance of Peace Officers Memorial Day

Flags across Georgia will fly at half-staff on Friday, May 15, 2020 in Honor of Peace Officers Memorial Day.

Since 1962, May 15th has been recognized as ‘Peace Officers Memorial Day,’ thanks to a joint resolution approved by Congress to authorize President John F. Kennedy to sign a proclamation which designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as ‘Police Week.’ The recognition has been recurring ever since.

Governor Kemp signed an Executive Order on May 11 ordering the flags at half mast on Friday ‘as a mark of respect for the officers who serve, and in memory of the officers who have fallen.’

The State of Georgia has had a cumulative total of 751 officers die in the line of duty and 11 K9 officers have been lost.

NATIONWIDE

According to the FBI, nationwide, the rate of sworn officers was 2.4 per 1,000 inhabitants. The rate of full-time law enforcement employees (civilian and sworn) per 1,000 inhabitants was 3.4. In the most recent year for which data is available, 2017, Georgia reported 450 agencies with 32,001 sworn officers.

In November 2019, WalletHub weighed the best and worst states for law enforcement officers, in which Georgia ranked No. 44. Earlier this month, the FBI released its annual report on law enforcement officers lost in the line of duty.

You can read the executive order below.