May 14, 2020
This week is National Police Week and the Lakewood City Council formally marked its appreciation for the members of the Lakewood Police Department with a proclamation acknowledging their continued commitment to keeping our community safe.
This year especially the council extends its thanks to the men and women of the department who are facing an additional risk due to COVID-19, which has dramatically impacted how they interact with the public and has presented new challenges never faced before.
Nationally more than 900,000 law enforcement officers serve across the United States. Locally we have 99 dedicated members who serve our Lakewood community.
They do this knowing that every day they put their lives at risk. Nearly 60,000 assaults against law enforcement officers are reported each year, resulting in roughly 17,000 injuries. More than 21,000 law enforcement officers across the country have been killed in the line of duty, including four members of the Lakewood Police Department in 2009.
The names of these dedicated public servants are engraved on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., including our Lakewood Four: Sgt. Mark Renninger and officers Tina Griswold, Greg Richards and Ronald Owens.
This year members of the Lakewood Police Department were unable to travel to Washington, D.C. to recognize our fallen officers at the monument for National Police Week due to COVID-19. Despite being unable to attend the monument in person, members of the department will always remember the Lakewood Four and the ultimate sacrifice they gave.
The City Council publicly salutes the service of law enforcement officers in our community and in the communities across the nation and thanks them for their continued sacrifice to help keep us all safe.