The Dallas Police Department held its annual memorial service this week to honor officers killed in the line of duty.
The names of the 93 men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the City of Dallas were read out alongside a 21-gun salute, a flyover, and more. The event is held each year around the time of National Police Week, established by President John F. Kennedy in 1962, designating May 15 as “Peace Officers Memorial Day” and the week in which that date falls as “Police Week.”
“The ultimate sacrifice of a police officer is to lay down their life for another,” Police Chief Eddie Garcia said during the ceremony. “It transcends individual bravery and speaks to the profound sense of duty and honor that defines our noble profession. Let us never forget the profound debt of gratitude we owe to those who stand watch over our city so that others can sleep in peace.”
Among those in attendance at the service at the Dallas Police Memorial Service at the corner of Akard and Young streets were DPD, City officials, and the families of those killed in the line of duty.
“We live every day to speak his name, so to come to a gathering where you get to hear his name and hear him be honored it’s just such a pleasure for us,” Tim Penton told NBC 5 DFW.
His son, Officer Mitchell Penton, was hit by a drunk driver while directing traffic away from a crash that occurred in the early morning hours of February 13, 2021.
Although the last time a DPD officer was killed in the line of duty was in 2022, there have been several injuries this year from shootings and more. For instance, in mid-March, an officer was shot in the hip when a suspect inside a stolen vehicle he was following allegedly opened fire on his police car in east Oak Cliff, as covered by The Dallas Express.
“It is fantastic there are no new names on the wall,” Garcia said, per NBC 5. “But the dangers and perils are there and I see it every day, and so it’s a very difficult job, but we’re very fortunate.”
The risks involved with policing are but one of many contributing factors to DPD’s shortage of officers.
Although the DPD fields around 3,000 officers and has a sworn authorized strength of 3,245, a City analysis recommended a police force of 4,000 officers to adequately ensure public safety. Moreover, Dallas City leaders allocated just $654 million to DPD this fiscal year, which is considerably less taxpayer dollars directed towards policing than in other high-crime jurisdictions, including New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
