Remembering Fallen Officers During a Pandemic

For more than 30 years, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund has honored the fallen during their annual candlelight vigil as part of Police Week. In 2020, however—in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and in a time of uncertainty—the organization took the event online last spring and held a virtual vigil that remembered the lives of officers killed in the line of duty as 307 names were added on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., bringing the total to 22,217 officers killed in the line of duty memorialized there.

We recently spoke with Marcia Ferranto, CEO of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and Museum, who took the reins from longtime CEO Craig W. Floyd in August 2019. For Ferranto, it was a trial by fire as she not only tasked with reshaping the foundation in her vision, but also continuing the organization’s mission as the pandemic continued to take a hold on the world.

Learning to adapt

When COVID-19 cases quickly escalated in March, the NLEOMF was tasked with finding a way to remember officers who died in the line of duty, while keeping survivors, friends, colleagues and others safe as the vigil was soon approaching. When the 32nd Annual Candlelight vigil was finally held on May 13, 2020, the event was success as thousands were able to watch from the safety of their own homes.

“Right now—all over the country—law enforcement professionals are putting their lives on the line, continuing to protect us despite the dangers brought by COVID-19,” Ferranto said during her opening remarks during the event’s livestream. “Due to COVID-19, this year’s memorial events could not be held on the National Mall as it has been for the last 31 years. But we have been given a unique opportunity to unite for this solemn occasion virtually.”

Looking back on the event, Ferranto says that the foundation was able to adapt, but that the impact of the virus will continue to be felt by her organization and by the law enforcement community as a whole. “Let’s face it,” she says. “This is a profession that doesn’t have a choice but to be exposed to COVID. They can’t stay home. So, I think that is a reality that everyone needs to realize. This profession—law enforcement—is required to expose themselves to COVID.”

As more and more officers succumb to job-related cases associated with COVID-19, she says that the foundation is focused on honoring those officers. “In general, I believe that from what we’re seeing currently, COVID deaths are going to surpass 9/11. From the trend we’re seeing now, we believe that will be a reality,” says Ferranto. “Our goal at the memorial is to make sure that each one of these fallen officers are recognized on the wall and recognized in a timely manner. We are working very hard to make sure that we get through our process to be able to confirm that these deaths are Line of Duty Deaths so that we can get these law enforcement officers on the wall and recognized at our candlelight vigil on May 13.”

Ferranto noted that when it comes to honoring officers who have died of complications from COVID-19 on the memorial’s walls, they will be handled the same as all other line of duty deaths. On the museum side of the foundation’s campus, the NLEOMF is working on an exhibit to be focused on COVID-19 and law enforcement.

“We do have something coming out in the future and hopefully we’ll be open sometime in 2021,” she says. "When we do open, there will be a permeant exhibit in the museum that will be focused on Line of Duty Deaths due to COVID-19.”

Moving forward

As reported cases of COVID-19 mounted during the spring of 2020, so did the precautions taken by law enforcement agencies. While not all of practices will necessarily become the “new normal,” there are some things that agencies have learned during the pandemic that can be kept going forward.

“I think that everything we live through helps,” Ferranto says. “You can always find a beneficial outcome to every situation. To this, I think that we will see some much-needed change. That change really comes in the form of communication.” She spoke about the foundation’s Destination Zero, which serves as a repository for best practices from law enforcement agencies around the country. Departments from around the country submit their policies and procedures that have worked for them and are put through a review process. The NLEOMF recognizes winners each year. “I can tell you that there is a lot coming in on COVID and how departments and agencies have been addressing COVID and how they are educating their workforce.”

Ferranto says that there could be another situation where these best practices could be used and referenced quickly in order to be put into place for greater success. While the foundation has been heavily focused in the past on its mid-year and end-of-the year fatality reports—along with the annual candlelight vigil—she says that the focus is now on officer safety and wellness and how the organization can help the law enforcement community keep line of duty death numbers down.

In November, the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum formed a COVID-19 task force to promote officer safety and wellness in response to a surge in line-of-duty deaths due to the pandemic. Task force members include law enforcement professionals, health experts, and NLEOMF staff researchers with proven leadership and commitment. In addition, the task force will provide guidance on researching and vetting law enforcement deaths related to COVID-19.

Connecting communities

When the foundation launched the museum two years ago, the new facility allowed the NLEOMF to hold a series of roundtable discussions bringing together guests from all works of life for conversations on issues impacting law enforcement. “Although our doors are closed, we’ve been able to still reach the community at a much greater effectiveness than we would be able to if we were only serving the hundred people sitting in our auditorium,” says Ferranto. “We’ve used this time to recognize the issues and to bring it to the forefront, to bring in great thought leaders from around the country to discuss some of these high-pressing issues.”

The issues covered include suicide prevention for officers, officer-involved shootings, response to protests that have turned violent and the “defund the police” movement. She pointed out that while discussions had on cable news channels often spiral into arguments and screaming matches, the foundation has offered the public something different. “The interesting thing is that if you turn on the news—either FOX or CNN—nothing is good and everybody is in opposition. When you join one of our programs, you’re going to see that’s not the case. We’ve got people from both sides of an argument coming together with the best of intentions to find solutions, not to create more discord.”

As National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and Museum looks to the future, it is focused on stepping clearly into the space of officer safety and wellness, becoming a repository of best practices from agencies around the country and continuing to honor officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice.