National Police Week
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. KING. Mr. President, each day, our peace officers prepare for work with no guarantee of what the next shift holds. They say goodbye to their loved ones and head out to serve and protect communities throughout Maine and across the country. And unfortunately, on some devastating days, they don't come home. These selfless citizens put themselves in dangerous positions day in and day out to ensure the safety of our people it is a commitment that evokes awe. They are heroes, walking among us, and when they make the ultimate sacrifice, it is on us to ensure that their names and deeds are not forgotten.
So today, I rise to honor those who have made that sacrifice. This week, we mark National Police Week. This year's observance is, obviously, a bit different than usual. There will be no gathering peace officers from all over the country come to Washington, DC, to honor their fallen brothers and sisters; there will be no in-person candlelight vigil. But though the events are different, the goal is the same: to honor the memory of those who have given so much to protect our communities.
This pandemic will not change our dedication to mourn their loss and honor their service, and this year, we will add 307 names of those who lost their lives in the line of duty to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, including two peace officers from my home State of Maine. I want to take this opportunity to share a little more about the legacies these peace officers leave behind.
First: Detective Benjamin James Campbell of the Maine State Police died in the line of duty on April 3, 2019. Detective Campbell was helping a disabled vehicle in Hampden, ME, when he was struck by a vehicle tire. He was just 31 years old and leaves behind a wife and young son. He served the Maine State Police since 2012 and was promoted to detective in 2017.
When asked to describe Detective Campbell, Maine State Police Col. John Cote put it simply and strongly, he said Detective Campbell was ``one of our very best.'' One of our very best--that tells you all you need to know about how his colleagues felt about him--an officer who stopped to help someone, a caring man, and a life taken much too soon.
Second, the memorial will include the name of Perley Morrison Sprague, chief of the Rockport Police Department. Sadly, Chief Sprague suffered a major cardiac event on November 15, 1996, and died as a result. A son of Maine, Chief Sprague embodied a life of service. He was born in Bangor in 1948. He was a Coast Guard veteran, serving in Vietnam, and held numerous public safety positions in Maine, including as a member of the Portland Police Department and the Maine Department of Marine Resources, where he served for 21 years and worked his way up to chief of the bureau of the marine patrol. In 1995, he accepted his final position as the Rockport chief of police. Once at Rockport, he was described as a man with new ideas and visions for hiring and training. He lived a life of service, and Maine will never forget him.
As we mourn the loss of these heroes, we must do our part to lift up the loved ones and communities they have left behind. May God bless Detective Campbell, Chief Sprague, and the others around the country who lost their lives. And may God continue to watch over those peace officers who go to work, with no guarantee they will return. They are examples for us all, and Maine will never forget them.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source