Barnegat Officers Attend Candlelight Vigil For Fallen Police

BARNEGAT, N.J. — Barnegat officers were among the over 30,000 people who attended the National Police Week Candlelight Vigil on Monday in Washington, D.C.

During the vigil, 371 names of fallen officers, included 158 who died in the line of duty in 2018, were read aloud. The 371 officers were added to the memorial this spring.

Barnegat police were among several local departments who biked from New Jersey to Washington, D.C., last week for the Police Unity Tour. The Tour raises awareness for law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty. Read more: Barnegat, Stafford Officers Bike To D.C. For Police Unity Tour

President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation in 1962 to designate May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day. The week of the date falls as Police Week.

The Memorial Service began in 1982 as a gathering in Senate Park of approximately 120 survivors and supporters of law enforcement. The event has grown to attract tens of thousands of officers to the Nation's Capital every year.

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