ARKANSAS, USA — In remembrance and honor of police officers who died in the line of duty, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders proclaimed the week of May 14 as "National Police Week."
The tradition was established by former U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1962 when he proclaimed May 15 as "Peace Officers Memorial Day" and made the week on which this date falls "National Police Week."
Gov. Sanders cites the attack by criminals and the radical left in recent years as one of the reasons behind her proclamation. She also mentions Joshua Caudell, Michael Springer, Paul Newell, Jeremiah Story, William Shibley and Donald Scoby, some of the police officers who died in the line of duty in 2022.
The Arkansas House of Representatives also highlights officers who died of COVID-19 and mention that, according to the Centers for Disease Control, "protective service workers, including police officers, have had some of the highest Covid mortality rates of any occupation.
The death of Jonesboro Police Officer Vincent Parks is also mentioned by the House because of its impact in police officer training after Parks died on his first day of training last summer.
Because of this, Act 199, also known as the Vincent Parks Law, would require instructors to complete training on the recognition of health conditions.
President Joe Biden also issued a proclamation acknowledging the sacrifice of families of law enforcement officers.
"It takes a special person to marry or be the child of a law enforcement officer — knowing the uncertainty as their loved one walks out the door and dreading the possibility of receiving that phone call," he says in his proclamation.
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