Remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice

PLANO -- The sounds of bagpipes playing Amazing Grace and rifles firing a 21-gun salute filled the air Wednesday afternoon in Plano as part of the Plano Police Department's annual Peace Officer Memorial Service.

Civilians, city officials and officers from Plano PD attended the event, remembering the 12 Texas peace officers killed in the line of duty in 2011. Two of the officers were from the Metroplex, with one working for Dallas PD and the other being employed by the Johnson County Sheriff's Department. A wreath-laying ceremony was also carried out, with one yellow rose placed on the wreath for each officer killed.

Assistant Police Chief Ed Drain served as the master of ceremonies and said the sacrifices of the 12 Texas officers, as well as the other 154 who were killed in the United States last year, should not, and would not, be forgotten.

"Their deaths were caused by a variety of means including three who were killed by gunfire and two who were killed by drunk drivers," Drain told the crowd gathered at Haggard Park. "The one thing they all have in common was that they gave their lives so that others may live in safety. Today we will remember and honor their sacrifice."

This year also marks the fifth anniversary of the death of Officer Wes Hardy, a Plano PD motorcycle officer who was killed in a traffic accident on July 7, 2007. Chief Greg Rushin said on the anniversary of Hardy's death, a tribute will be set up in the Office Wes Hardy Community Room, located in the city's Joint Use Facility, 7501-A Independence Parkway.

Rushin, who is the current president of the Texas Police Chief's Association, used the ceremony as a chance to address the law enforcement officers in attendance. He said one of his goals as president is to reduce officer deaths throughout the state of Texas by increasing training and going back to basics of officer safety. He also endorsed the Below 100 program, which aims to decrease the number of officers killed nationwide in the line of duty to less than 100 annually.

"The Below 100 program acknowledges that some officer deaths are unpreventable, as law enforcement is a sometimes dangerous job fraught with risks," Rushin said. "However, there are some things officers can do to control those risks. ... This program is fully endorsed by chiefs across the state of Texas and I am asking each of you in law enforcement here today to embrace it as well."

If the program succeeds, it would be the first time since 1944 when the total deaths were below 100. The highest number of deaths occurred in 1974 when 279 officers were killed in the line of duty. In the past five years, the numbers have fluctuated between 116 and 185.

"It is an enormous sacrifice the officers and their families make on a pledge to serve their communities," Rushin said. "Fortunately, for many reasons, they keep on doing it. This afternoon, we pause to remember those who have given their lives in a difficult and dangerous job that is vital to society, and often taken for granted. Let the site of our nation's flag here today remind us of what we hold dear. Remember what it would cost all of us if no one was there to protect and serve, and guard our communities."

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