Families and fellow officers are placing roses on a plaque to honor those who died in state law enforcement.
Across all divisions of state law enforcement, a total of 37 officers have died in the line of duty since the 1940s.
Among the crowd of attendees is Vicky Magee of Foxworth, widow of Officer Joey McGee who died during his service with the Department of Transportation’s law enforcement division 15 years ago. She and her three children are speaking with other families who have lost loved ones.
“It means a lot. You got somebody that has been through similar things that you have, like this one lady that was sitting beside me with the two young children," says Magee. "And you know, my kids were just a year-and-a-half, five, and nine years old when their dad was killed. And I know that it’s a struggle as a young mother with young kids to go through, losing your partner and your spouse.”
The ceremony also serves as a sobering reminder to other officers about the risks they take with a career in law enforcement, says Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell. He says one way the state could better prepare for dangerous situations is through de-escalation training and specialized officers.
“We’re starting to have a greater focus on mental health and mental health officers,” says Tindell. “We ask our law enforcement officers to not only carry the gun and the badge and protect the community and do so many things, we also want them to be social workers and de-escalate domestic situations, mental health visits and other things. It’s asking too much of them.”
Mississippi has also expanded death benefit requirements to include first responders who died due to the coronavirus.
