National Police Week in Washington, DC
By Sergeant Bobby Randazzo, Supervisor Marine Operations, SIB PD

The 19th Annual National Police Week was held in Washington, DC from Tuesday, May 08, through Wednesday, May 16, 2007. Police week is a national memorial to officers slain in the line of duty sponsored by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF). Officers gather at this event once a year to pay homage to our fallen comrades from across the nation. The memorial has grown in size every year and this year was no exception. This event brings officers together from all across our nation and the world. The number of agencies represented and the officers present was enormous and overwhelmed the imagination.

A contingency of six officers from our department were approved by Chief Maas to attend the ceremonies. Attending the memorial from our department were Lt. Dwight Snyder, Sergeant Lee Athanasiou, Officers Melissa Montesino, Caridad Brizuela, Alberto Porro, and myself. We flew out of Fort Lauderdale airport on Sunday and arrived in time to attend the Candlelight Vigil at Judiciary Square. What an event. Literally, thousands upon thousands of Honor Guard participants gathered at the memorial site, in their respective Honor Guard uniforms. The ceremony was held at 8:00 o’clock at night and every honor guard officer was holding a lit candle. Needless to say, it brought tears to your eyes and a lump in your throat. What a tribute!!

Some of the events that occurred were the Blue Mass held at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, the Police Unity Tour Ceremony, which has raised $3.2 million dollars for the NLEOMF since 1997, the Twelfth Annual Emerald Society & Pipe band March and Service, the FOP/FOPA Wreath laying Ceremony and the 26th Annual National Peace Officer’s Memorial Day Service held at the front of the U.S. Capitol. The keynote speaker for the memorial was none other than the President of the United States, George W. Bush. We attended many events including the Candlelight Vigil and the Memorial at the nation’s Capitol. The Emerald Society & Pipe band March is a chilling parade of all the Honor Guards parading through Washington to the beat of the many drums and bagpipes.

The city of Washington, DC, has a beautiful mass transit system called the Metro. It is a series of trains that run underground throughout the entire city. We were able to leave our hotel, drop down to the Metro, and go where ever we wanted on the Metro and then pop-up at our final destination. Sgt. Athanasiou got us to our connections and destinations on time and without a single mistake. In our down time, we visited the Arlington Cemetery. What an impressive sight it was to see the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the eternal light for deceased President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline, and the Arlington House which was where General Robert E. Lee once lived. Some of the other attractions in Washington are the Lincoln Memorial, the Viet Nam Memorial, the World War II Memorial and the many Smithsonian Museums.

I know I speak for everyone that attended when I remark that it was a tremendous experience and a trill of a lifetime to attend. We wish to thank the City of Sunny Isles Beach for allowing us the privilege to represent our city at this prestigious national memorial event.

(L-R) Sgt. Bobby Randazzo, Ofc. Melissa Montesino, Ofc. Albert Porro, Ofc. Caridad Brizuela, Sgt. Lee Athanasiou and Lt. Dwight Snyder at the U.S. Capitol

(L-R) Honor Guard: Ofc. Melissa Montesino, Ofc. Caridad Brizuela, Sgt. Bobby Randazzo, Sgt. Lee Athanasiou, Ofc. Albert Porro, and Lt. Dwight Snyder.

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