Requires the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington flag to be displayed at all state police buildings

3 Co-sponsors

• William J. Larkin Jr.
• Kenneth P. LaValle
• Dale M. Volker

Title of bill

An act to amend the executive law, in relation to the display of certain flags

Purpose or general idea of bill

The bill requires all facilities of the State Police which display a US flag to display a flag representing the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington DC.

Summary of specific provisions

Section one of the bill amends the heading of Article 19 of the Executive Law to make reference to "other flags" in parks and public buildings.

Section two of the bill adds a new §404 requiring display of the flag of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

Section three is the effective date.

Justification

Legislation was signed by President Ronald Reagan in October, 1984, authorizing a National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial to be created and built on federal land and establishing a fund to receive donations. The groundbreaking occurred in October, 1989, and the completed memorial was dedicated by President George H. W. Bush at Judiciary Square in October, 1991, with 12,561 names carved on the marble walls of the monument. The fund created in 1984 supports the Memorial, the National Law Enforcement Museum to be completed in 2011, an "Officer of the Month" program, National Police Week created by President John F. Kennedy in 1962, and an annual Candlelight Vigil for the families of slain officers who died in the line of duty during the previous year and to commemorate the dedication of the officers' names on the Memorial. There are currently 17,917 federal, state and local law enforcement officers who have been killed in the line of duty whose names are recorded on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. New York has several unique and poignant connections to the Memorial:

* Deputy Sheriff Isaac Smith of the New York City Sheriffs Office was killed on May 17, 1792, and is the first known officer killed in the line of duty in our nation's history.

* September 11, 2001, was the deadliest day in law enforcement history; 72 officers, mostly New Yorkers, were killed that day. Their names appear on panels 9W through 22W. Some additional facts about the Fallen Officers on the Memorial:

* Anna Hart, a prison matron with the Hamilton County, Ohio, Sheriffs Office was killed on July 24, 1916, and is the first known female officer to die in the line of duty.

* 215 female officers' names are engraved on the Memorial. The NLEOMF Board is composed of top officials from the nation's 15 major law enforcement organizations, representing more than 870,000 law enforcement officers nationwide. This legislation recognizes that this is a fitting association for our officers and a fitting tribute to the sacrifices made by our State Police and law enforcement officers nationwide.

Prior legislative history

2008: Passed Senate/Assembly Governmental Operations Cmte.

Fiscal implications

There are approximately 185 State Police facilities statewide. Each flag is $48. This legislation will cost approximately $9000 in total for the State Police to implement.

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the 30th day after it shall have become law.