About the Society

The Greater Cleveland Peace Officers Memorial Society was formed in 1985 by a handful of area police officers as they met after the funeral of a fellow officer killed in the line of  duty. 

The  primary  mission  of the  Greater Cleveland Peace Officers Memorial Society is to  honor those   peace  officers   who  have   made  the  supreme sacrifice in  giving  their  lives  in  the  performance  of service to their  communities and  the Nation, especially those  from  the  Greater  Cleveland  area. Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, and  Medina Counties.

Today the Society is comprised of police officers, families, friends and  supporters dedicated to honoring the  memories of all  officers  killed  in  the  line of duty. The Society has adopted  the  motto "In  Honore  Casorum",  Latin  for "Honor Our Fallen".

In addition to maintaining the Greater Cleveland Peace Officers Memorial, the Society
has pledged itself to the following goals:

• Honor all law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty.

• Provide assistance to families of officers who have died in the line of duty.

• Provide assistance to police officers seriously injured in the line of duty.

• Assist law enforcement agencies with planning and implementation of Line of Duty Death funerals.

• Create a public awareness of the hazards of the law enforcement profession.

• Improve police-community relations.

• Further the law enforcement profession by sponsoring training, and humanitarian programs, as well as educational development such as the Pete Lawer Memorial Scholarship fund.

The Events

Each May, the Society sponsors the Greater Cleveland Peace Officers Memorial Celebration in conjunction with National Police Week and Peace Officers Memorial Day          (May 15th). Events include    a parade through downtown Cleveland followed by a service at the memorial.

One of the premier events is the Greater Cleveland Peace Officers Memorial Tattoo. In the time-honored tradition of the military tattoo, the pipes & drums of numerous police departments throughout the United States and Canada, as well as marching bands, drill teams, dance and choral groups, combine their talents in a spectacular display of pageantry and music. The law enforcement community and the general public gather together in remembrance, fellowship and celebration to indeed "Honor our Fallen".