Harry Hurley Late Breaking News

For Immediate Release

Sergeant Monica McMenamin

Atlantic City Police Department

May 15, 2008

Mayor Scott K. Evans joined Atlantic City Police Chief John J. Mooney and members of the local police department at the noon hour Thursday May 15, 2008 in the Police and Fire Memorial Plaza to pause and honor the memory of the eight Atlantic City police officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

A wreath was placed at the memorial site and uniformed officers rendered a hand salute to their fallen colleagues as the American flag and City flag stood at half-mast. Mayor Evans presented Chief Mooney with a Proclamation calling upon all citizens to join in observance of Peace Officers' Memorial Day and to pay tribute to local, state and federal law enforcement officers whose service to the community should be recognized and too often ends in the ultimate sacrifice. Mayor Evans also paid respect to the survivors of our fallen heroes.

Chief Mooney sadly noted that there are 18,274 names engraved on the National Police Memorial, located in Judiciary Square in our nation's capital, Washington, DC. 181 law enforcement officers lost their lives in the line of duty in 2007 and 37 have been killed this year. Law enforcement officers from around our nation and around the world have gathered in Washington, DC for National Police Week observances. On Monday, the Police Unity Tour arrived, comprised in part of local officers who rode to the Police Memorial from Liberty State Park in Jersey City. The members of the Unity Tour raised $1.227 Million for the National Law Enforcement Officers Fund, which built and supports the National Police Memorial and is building a National Police Museum at Judiciary Square, scheduled to open in 2011. Tuesday evening, the 20th Annual Candlelight Memorial Service took place at the Memorial site, where 25,000 law enforcement officers gathered in support of the survivors of our nation's fallen officers. Today, President George W. Bush addresses our nation and meets with the survivors on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol during the National Police Memorial Service.

The 8 Atlantic City officers lost in the line of duty are: Officer Peter Brewer (1890); Constable Earl C. Wisler (1929); Officer Clayton G. Graham (1962); Cycle Officer Daniel DuRoss (1963); K-9 Officer P. John "Sonny" Burke (1970); Officer Peter Francis Egnor (1981); Sergeant Kenneth L. Brown (2004) and Officer Thomas J. McMeekin, Jr. (2005).