The first official day of National Peace Officers Memorial Day was established in 1962 by President John Kennedy, and the week in which May 15 falls as National Police Week.

Here in Washtenaw County, the Peace Officers’ Memorial Ceremony will be held on Monday, May 15, 2023, at the Washtenaw 100 Memorial Park in Ypsilanti at 10:00 a.m. “Due to the pandemic, we have not been able to have the memorial event for four years, so it is important for us to get back to memorializing and acknowledging the sacrifice that our local community peace officers have made in the line of duty, as well as all other peace officers have nationwide,” said Matt Harshberger, Director, Department of Public Safety. The ceremony will honor local officers who have died in the line of duty. Washtenaw 100’s Chair Amy Reiser will give the closing remarks. An informal reception will follow the event, sponsored by The Washtenaw 100 and the Ypsilanti Fire Department.

In addition, five members of Washtenaw County’s Honor Guard will attend the Annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service, which is held on the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. Our Honor Guard members will provide escort services for families who have lost members in the line of duty.