POUGHKEEPSIE – In recognition
of Memorial Day and the police officers of Dutchess County who have lost
their lives in the line of duty, or had passed on for other reasons, the
Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office held its annual memorial ceremony.
The ceremony, held Thursday at the Dutchess officer’s memorial
outside of the sheriff’s office, was attended local elected officials,
police and corrections officers, friends and family. Approximately 300
people were on hand at the Poughkeepsie offices to show their support
and to give thanks to the fallen men and women.
“Today is a day of remembrance,” said Dutchess Sheriff Butch Anderson. “It’s the day that we remember everybody, but most of all the police officers that have fallen in the line of duty and their families, and it’s time that we pay the respect and honor and love that they deserve.”
Anderson paid tribute to all law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty
Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro said as National Police Officer’s Recognition Week concludes, it is important for everyone in the community to recognize those individuals who protect their safety every day.
“It is so important that we, as a society and community, show our admiration, respect and support to those men and women who provide for our safety every day,” Molinaro said. “We don’t ever expect perfection, but these men and women sacrifice every day to provide for our safety, and they deserve our recognition. They deserve our respect. They deserve our support, and to those men and women, who have died and are no longer with us, they’ve given a great sacrifice and we, as a community, are grateful for it.”
Also, in recognition of those who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks, all of the Dutchess officials who attended walked around the memorial, made of a steel beam from the former World Trade Center, to symbolically show respect to those who died there, and to the officers standing in full dress uniforms in front of the memorial, who are still here serving the community.
