Every year, National Police Week pays tribute to law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. From October 13-17, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) will be holding a variety of events to honor the fallen, including a candlelight vigil and wreath laying ceremony. Other special activities include NLEOMF’s “Run for the Badge” 5K and a family day at the National Law Enforcement Museum. A virtual version of National Police Week ran in May due to pandemic-related restrictions.
Another well-known and popular event during National Police Week is the Police Unity Tour, a four-day, 300-mile bicycle ride from New Jersey to Washington, D.C. The idea came from Florham Park, N.J., Officer Patrick Montuore, who wanted to ensure fallen officers’ sacrifices were never forgotten. This year’s ride was also scheduled to take place in May but was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns.
The group, whose motto is “We ride for those who died,” raised $18,000 with only 18 members in 1997 during their first official ride. Since then, the group has come a long way. Last year, they raised over $2 million with 2,600 members. Riders fundraise and train for the physical challenge throughout the year. All funds are donated to the NLEOMF. Since its inception, the Police Unity Tour has donated more than $30 million.
The ride ends at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, where riders give bracelets worn on their wrists throughout their ride to the families of fallen officers. Below is a selection of photos and videos from law enforcement agencies around the U.S. as they make their journey to Washington, D.C. to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
Do you have photos or videos from the ride? Whether you are a participant or bystander, email us at editor@police1.com and we will add them to our roundup.
https://twitter.com/123tessab/status/1448355499121025025 https://www.facebook.com/NLEOMF/videos/4435816693192767/ https://twitter.com/TheStoneFreeman/status/1448340576517111809 https://twitter.com/PGPDNews/status/1448319892327960585 https://twitter.com/PGFDNews/status/1448330300694663170 https://twitter.com/NLEOMF/status/1448294974303449094 https://twitter.com/AACOPD/status/1448288052170960900 https://twitter.com/HCPDNews/status/1448031285679587330 https://twitter.com/BaltimorePolice/status/1448045831265918980 https://twitter.com/BlfdPublicSafe/status/1448051664632655875 https://twitter.com/Ramapo_PD/status/1448062421545930752 https://twitter.com/QAsheriff/status/1447994043133317121 https://twitter.com/Harford_Sheriff/status/1447638321220526085 https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=3042108456003396&id=1548190688728521 https://twitter.com/TwpMontvillePD/status/1447398578394177536 https://twitter.com/Ramapo_PD/status/1447388860971995136 https://twitter.com/PGPDNews/status/1447256259678322690 https://twitter.com/PlainsboroTwpPD/status/1447325043072114689 https://twitter.com/BlfdPublicSafe/status/1447197228670586882 https://twitter.com/AACOPD/status/1446919194117906437 https://twitter.com/monroesheriffny/status/1446594483441659904 https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=193940779531497&id=102304815361761 https://twitter.com/alicia_danis/status/1447279404254744581 https://twitter.com/NJ_DOC/status/1446524548300607489
