South Coast honors National Police Memorial Week

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Story Published: May 6, 2009 at 11:55 PM PDT

By Erica Rush

REEDSPORT, Ore. -Taking time to honor courageous law enforcement officers, who have lost their lives or become disabled in the performance of duty, the city of Reedsport joins forces with the nation, as they recognize, National Police Memorial Week.

Several local law agencies, including officers from Reedsport, Myrtle Point and Coquille came together Wednesday afternoon, for the only memorial on the South Coast.

Since the 1980's, 171 officers in Oregon have died in the line of duty, including two just last year in Woodburn.

Sargent Tom Beck with the Reedsport Police Department says these events are often a wake up call to just how dangerous their jobs really are.

"Most of the time they look at us as ticket writers and that we're out stopping speeders but when somebody is seriously injured or an officer is seriously injured, bring that information to light, i think people start to realize it is a really dangerous job," says Beck

Seven officers fired off the traditional 21-gun salute in honor of the fallen officers.

This year, OSP Bomb Technician William Hakiam and Woodburn Police Captain Tom Tennant, who were both killed when an explosive device detonated at a Woodburn area bank last December, will be added to Oregon's Memorial Wall, as well as the National Law Enforcement Memorial Wall in Washington DC.

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