Minnesota’s Law Enforcement Memorial

Since 1962, May 15 has been designated as National Law Enforcement Day. It is a day to remember the officers who have died in the line of duty.

In Minnesota, events are coordinated by Minnesota Law Enforcement Memorial Association (LEMA). This is also the organization that assists departments and family members after an officer has died in the line of duty. Once during my first career we had one of our officers killed in an off-duty traffic accident. We worked with the LEMA team to assist our department with the planning and with the funeral, and they were wonderful.

About a week ago I noticed officers, deputies, and troopers rehearsing at the memorial site on the State Capitol mall. The “Standing of The Guard” begins on the evening of May 14 and continues through the night until concluding with a memorial service at 7 p.m. on the night of May 15. There is also a procession from the Wabasha Street Bridge to the memorial preceding the services.

The memorial is located at the southeastern corner of the mall, near the corner of Wabasha Street and 12th Street East. It consists of a series of tall white pillars that face downtown. A lighted thin blue line runs up the steps through the pillars. “Thin blue line” is a well-known phrase in law enforcement and represents the officers standing between the public and chaos. When an officer is killed, the line is temporarily broken. The thin blue line ends at a beautiful block of black marble which is engraved, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. -Matthew 5:9.”

For more information on the services and the memorial, visit the LEMA website.

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Stay safe,
Rob