Bill Clinton

“ Despite the rising tide of crime, good and brave men and women continue to join the ranks of law enforcement. Today, more than 600,000 sworn officers work every day to preserve the peace and improve the safety of cities and towns across America. These heroic individuals and their fallen colleagues come from many different backgrounds. But they are linked by a common faith-that freedom is worth defending and that justice shall prevail. For those who died to uphold these ideals and for those who still stand to protect them, we salute America's law enforcement officials. ”

“ America's law enforcement officers face extraordinary risks-breaking up a drug ring, apprehending a fugitive, responding to an incident of domestic violence, even making a traffic stop. Since the first recorded police death in this country in 1794, more than 13,500 law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty. On average, more than 62,000 officers are assaulted and some 20,000 are injured each year. ”

“ Tragically, the dangers of law enforcement service are increasing. From 1960 to 1993, the number of violent crimes in America increased 567 percent. In the past 10 years, it increased 51 percent. During 1993, more than 1.9 million violent crimes-murders, rapes, robberies, and assaults-were reported to police. ”