Huge Police Memorial Service Coming to DC; Road Closures Next Week

Police will be honoring those who have fallen in the line of duty this upcoming Monday, and will be shutting down streets near the D.C police department headquarters on Indiana Avenue.

The 37th Annual Washington Area Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service will be held on May 9, resulting in the closure of D Street NW from 3rd to 4th streets and Indiana Avenue NW from 4th to 5th streets, according to a Metropolitan Police Department statement. The closures will last from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The event will kick off National Police Memorial Week, "where swarms of people from across the world converge in Washington, D.C. to participate in a number of events that honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice," the MPD said in a separate statement.

During the ceremony, law enforcement officers, friends, family and the community will pay tribute to all police officers -- be they federal, state or municipal -- who have been either killed or disabled while serving.

National Police Week dates back to 1962, when President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation that designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day. Tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world converge on the district to participate in events honoring the fallen and the disabled.

Today, National Police Week draws between 25,000 and 40,000 attendees.

"The attendees come from departments throughout the United States as well as from agencies throughout the world," according to the National Police Week official website. "This provides a unique opportunity to meet others that share a common brotherhood. In that spirit, the Fraternal Order of Police DC Lodge #1 sponsors receptions each afternoon and evening during Police Week. These events are open to all law enforcement personnel and are an experience unlike any other."

For more information and a schedule of events, click here.

Image via MPDC