In just the first four months of 2021, the National Fraternal Order of Police reported that nationwide, 91 officers had been shot, and 19 officers were killed by gunfire. The FOP also reported that 23 officers were shot in 18 separate ambush attacks.
Friends, if you don’t think law enforcement in this country is under attack, those statistics tell the tale. In every community in our state and across the country, men and women put on their badges and uniforms every day, heading out to patrol our streets and highways, respond to emergency calls, serve warrants, and make arrests. They know their work protecting and serving law-abiding citizens can put them in harm’s way with every single shift, yet they remain steadfast and courageous. They deserve our thanks and support.
I was proud to join my fellow members in supporting Senate Resolution 15, recognizing May as Law Enforcement Appreciation Month in Oklahoma. Our state has approximately 13,000 active peace officers, and they deserve our thanks and respect for the jobs they do throughout the year.
Without a doubt, 2020 was an especially difficult year for our law enforcement community. Six Oklahoma law enforcement officers died in the line of duty last year, including three from COVID-19. Those fallen heroes include Captain Billy Dewayne Allen, Sr., with the Fort Sill Police Department; Tulsa Police Officer Jerad Lindsey; Oklahoma Highway Patrol Captain Jeff Sewell; Sergeant Craig Vincent Johnson, Tulsa Police Department; Lieutenant Shirley Lanning, with the Canadian County Sheriff ’s Office; and Bryan County Deputy Sheriff Jarid Taylor.
In Sapulpa on Thursday evening, officers, families, friends and citizens from throughout Creek County gathered to pay tribute to our own fallen heroes through the decades. I commend the tremendous work our Creek County law enforcement community and their supporters have done with their memorial project.
While ongoing work on the budget and other critical issues before the Legislature kept me from being able to attend this year, I was so honored to be asked to speak at the ceremony in 2019. As I reflected on the names of fallen Creek County officers, I told those gathered that these heroes represent what is good, solid and noble in our society. They exemplified a life of service—a life well lived in the pursuit of making this world safer and more secure for all. They lived their lives well, even in the face of constant danger, because that is what they were called to do. To me, that is the very definition of courage, and by remembering them, we keep their memory alive.
I want to thank each and every member of law enforcement here in Creek County and throughout our great state for their service, courage and sacrifice.