WHEREAS, In 1994, the United States Congress and President Bill Clinton approved Public Law 103-322, requiring that the American flag be lowered to half-staff on May 15 to pay a singular tribute to the more than 14,000 law enforcement officers who have perished in the line of duty; and

WHEREAS, One police officer is killed somewhere in America every 52 hours, averaging 166 law enforcement fatalities each year for the past 10 years. In 1995, there were 161 police deaths, the highest total for a single year since 1989; and

WHEREAS, With the tragic death of Providence Police Officer Steven Shaw still painfully fresh in the minds of the people of Rhode Island, the stark realities facing our law enforcement professionals is never far from our thoughts. It is only fitting and proper, therefore, that a special day be set aside each year to honor our fallen guardians throughout the nation and to renew our strong support for their colleagues entrusted with protecting the civil liberties of all of the nation's citizens; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations is hereby proud to support the annual lowering of the American flag to half-staff to recognize those brave law enforcement officers who have made the supreme sacrifice to insure the public's safety by proclaiming May 15, 1996 to be "Peace Officers Memorial Day." We all owe police officers everywhere a debt beyond reckoning; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Craig W. Floyd, Chairman of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, Inc.