Peace Officers Memorial Day Speech

Every year, I have been honored to attend the Police Week observances held by the Falmouth Police Department on Peace Officers Memorial Day. This year, I was asked to speak.

What follows is the text of my speech.


Good morning. It is good to see all of you – some of whom I recognize as having attended these observances in years past.

Two months ago, two Boston firefighters lost their lives in a spectacular blaze on Beacon Street. Just days later, when Plymouth Police Officer Gregg Maloney died in a motorcycle accident, I immediately thought of Falmouth's own Officer Samuel Pierce.

From my perspective, it seemed that the media gave little airtime to Officer Maloney's circumstances. The Boston firefighters, in contrast, were all over the news for weeks.

Officer Maloney didn't die in a spectacular fire, but the circumstances were no less tragic. Like the Boston firefighters, he devoted his life to serving the public. Like the Boston firefighters, he left a family behind.

When firefighters are called to duty, they are wanted. For the peace officer, it's a little different. I know of no one who would cringe at the sight of a fire truck, but how many of us feel a pit in our stomach at the sight of blue lights behind us?

My father was a firefighter. He saw some spectacular, and some gruesome, things. But were he alive today, I'm sure he would agree that it was nothing compared to what the boys in blue – as he called them – have seen.

Indeed, it's often said that public service is a thankless job, but it pales in comparison to the lot of a police officer.

You often see the worst of what humanity has to offer.

It is the peace officer who must deal with the belligerent driver who thinks the speed limit is a suggestion.

It is the peace officer who must intervene in the domestic relationship which has soured and become violent.

It is the peace officer who must pretend to be something they are not, so that they may infiltrate and destroy the criminal enterprise.

It is the peace officer who must stand in court and defend what they have done to defend us – their actions second-guessed; their credibility questioned.

Benjamin Franklin stated, "it is better 100 guilty Persons should escape than that one innocent Person should suffer.” Our system of justice errs on the side of innocence, the burden of proof falls upon the state, and we hold peace officers to a higher standard.

Yet, we forget that being held to a higher standard, in and of itself, requires sacrifice. The mistakes made by any given civilian often go unnoticed, but the mistakes made by a peace officer are often publicized, scrutinized and criticized. Many would crumble under such pressure, but our peace officers persevere.

All of this makes today that much more important. Officer Maloney – like Officer Pierce before him – did not simply die in a motorcycle accident. He made the ultimate sacrifice; he died in the line of duty. Those of us who wear civilian attire can only guess at what these two men – and the thousands of other officers who also died in the line of duty – had seen and dealt with prior to their passing.

Yet they all served to their very last moments here on this earth.

None of this is meant to diminish the bravery of the Boston firefighters, or the tragedy of their passing. Rather, we must raise awareness of the sacrifices made by Officers Maloney and Pierce, and all of the other peace officers who have lost their lives while serving, and all of you, who continue to serve.

To the members of the Falmouth Police Department: Hold your heads high. Know that we value your integrity, and that those of us who stand here with you today – those of us who have stood here with you, year in and year out – know what sacrifices you make so that we may sleep soundly at night.