Tampa Police Memorial Service Will Remember Fallen Heroes

This report was submitted by Officer Irene Thomas:

Mayor Bob Buckhorn and Chief Jane Castor will pay that now includes a new candlelight vigil and the lighting of a blue laser representing the thin blue line.

The thin blue line represents the small amount of police officers, dressed in blue, standing between the criminal element and the law abiding citizens. The blue laser will shine across Lykes Gaslight Park in downtown Tampa.

The annual event also recognizes the families who lost their loved ones in the line of duty.

The public is invited to join the men and women of the Tampa Police Department as they honor the 31 officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty in the history of the department.

The event will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 4, at Tampa Police Department headquarters, 411 N. Franklin St.

Florida and National Statistics

• On average, one law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty somewhere in the United States every 53 hours.

• 40 officers have been killed in the line of duty in 2012 in the U.S. to date.

• On May 10, 5 Tampa Police officers and one retired TPD officer will ride in the Police Unity Tour in memory of TPD's fallen officers. The Police Unity Tour is a three-day, 250-mile bike ride from Virginia to the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington D.C.

• 3 Florida officers have died this year in the line of duty compared to 10 at the same time in 2011.