COMMENTARY: The never-ending sacrifice of law enforcement

Published 2:00 am Saturday, May 13, 2017

While we might be able to live our lives without some of the services we receive from government, our personal safety is something none of us would choose to give up. Yet the sacrifices the men and women of law enforcement make every day to protect us are probably the most overlooked contributions to our welfare.

Each May, communities across America pause to remember the fallen heroes who put our lives above their own. As the Attorney General and chief law enforcement official for the state of Alabama, I have a deep and abiding respect for the service and sacrifice of all our law enforcement personnel.

Earlier this month, I joined Gov. Kay Ivey and Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn at a law enforcement memorial service on the grounds of the State Capitol. This year’s memorial service paid tribute to Alabama Corrections Officer Kenneth Bettis. A combat veteran of the Alabama Army National Guard, Bettis lost his life to stab wounds sustained on Sept. 1, 2016, at the Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore when he was attacked by an inmate serving a 20-year sentence for robbery.

Bettis was the 11th state Department of Corrections officer to lose his life in the line of duty over the last 60 years.

We also mourned the loss of two other law enforcement officers over the last year — Lowndes County Deputy Sheriff Levi Pettway lost his life in a vehicle crash while on duty on April 10, and Florala Police Officer Thomas Price suffered a massive heart attack while on duty on Dec. 18. Their names, along with the 541 other Alabama law enforcement who have died in the line of duty since 1845, have been engraved in the black granite wall of the solemn Alabama Law Enforcement Memorial in Centennial Park in downtown Anniston.

As Marshall County District Attorney for 16 years, I personally witnessed the commitment of local law enforcement and mourned the loss of one of our own. Chief Verlon LeMaster, Jr. of Grant, was a 28-year veteran officer, serving as chief for 13 years. In August 2003, he lost his life while trying to serve a juvenile pick-up order. I prosecuted the two defendants who were convicted of Chief LeMaster’s murder. Chief LeMaster was absolutely dedicated to his department and its mission of protecting the public.

No group of citizens is more supportive of law enforcement than those who have lost loved ones to violent crime. A few weeks ago, my staff and I participated in candlelight vigils to remember the victims of violent crime in Florence, Pelham, Dothan, Montgomery and Spanish Fort. At each of these somber events, local law enforcement stood beside the families of victims of violent crime, sharing in their loss and in their commitment to justice.

You may have noticed a blue line on a black background displayed on some law enforcement vehicles. The “Thin Blue Line” is a symbol for law enforcement everywhere. The blue represents officers and the courage they find when faced with insurmountable odds. The black represents a constant reminder of fallen brother and sister officers. And, the line is what law enforcement protects — the barrier between order and chaos, between decency and lawlessness. It is my honor to stand with all law enforcement and do everything within my power to ensure they have the resources they need to carry out their duties.

I encourage everyone to visit the Officer Down Memorial website to learn more about line-of duty-deaths including a list of all Alabama law enforcement who have given their lives: https://www.odmp.org/.

May we never forget those who have gone before us, those serving today, and those who follow so that we might all live peacefully.

— Marshall is Alabama’s 48th attorney general.