Fallen Police Officers Remembered in West Des Moines

The somberly remembered fallen officers, then had some fun with hundreds of community members who turned out for the annual Police Week picnic Wednesday evening.

The police department’s honor guard, led by Lt. Jim Barrett, fired a volley of rifle shots to commemorate officers who made the ultimate sacrifice with their lives.

Have you thanked a police officer this week? Give a tribute below in the comments.

Speaking on behalf of the department, Sgt. Tanya Zaglauer said that every day, 90,000 police officers put their lives on the line for the safety and protection of their communities. In Iowa, 157 police officers have lost their lives in the line of duty since the beginning of record keeping.

“One officer is killed somewhere in the United States every 53 hours, and 19,000 in the United States have made the ultimate sacrifice.”

In the last 10 years alone, 164 officers have been killed and more than 53,000 have been assaulted, resulting in 15,000-plus injuries.

Of the 72 law enforcement officers the FBI says were killed in the line of duty in 2011, two were from Iowa: Sgt. Eric Stein, a Keokuk County Sheriff's deputy killed by gunfire, and Iowa State Patrol Trooper Mark Toney, who died in a car accident as he was responding to a call.

So far this year, 39 law enforcement officers have paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives, Zaglauer said.

“These dedicated officers not only place themselves in physical harm, it affects their families, their health and sometimes their mental health,” she said.

Zaglauer said that after 15 years with the department, she’s “still amazed at what officers will do for their communities.” She urged residents to thanks police officers when they meet them.

And they did. Throughout the evening, residents’ conversations with police officers were punctuated with “thanks for all you do” and similar remarks.

But then it was time for fun, whether at the Iowa National Guard climbing wall, a jump house, or having their faces painted and playing other games overseen by Valley High School students completing their Silver Cord community service requirements.