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When President John F. Kennedy signed the Proclamation in 1962 recognizing May 15 as Peace Officer Memorial Day, the Nation as a whole began honoring peace officers, “who, through their courageous deeds, have lost their lives or have become disabled in the performance of duty.” President Kennedy also designated May 12-18 as National Police Week. Since its inception National Police Week has been held annually and thousands of people descend on Washington, D.C. to honor our fallen heroes. The officers honored on this date were designated as having died in the line of duty which did not include suicide.
The Public Safety Officer Benefit Act (PSOB) was enacted in 1976 in part “to offer peace of mind to men and women seeking careers in public safety and to make a strong statement about the value American society places on the contributions of those who serve their communities in potentially dangerous circumstances.” This act has been amended several times since 1976 but until 2022 families of officers who died by suicide were not eligible to receive this benefit.
Survivors of Blue Suicide (SBS) is a non-profit organization that was created in 2020, because of the generous hearts of Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) and Law Enforcement United, to support the families and co-workers of officers who die by suicide. It is modeled after C.O.P.S. At the time of its inception suicide was not considered line-of-duty and these survivors had very few services available to support them. SBS gives survivors hope and support reminding them they are not alone in their journey and their officer will not be forgotten. Memorial Video
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