“It’s our duty to honor them and remember them, and having this memorial service is very important to me, and every law enforcement officer in this community. We have to honor them; they’ve given the ultimate sacrifice. It’s our job to carry on, and do our jobs the best we can, and to hold this service every year,” said Mike Garber, Fraternal Order of Police Quaker Lodge 88 president and Salem patrolman.

The service, held at the Salem Golf Club, was attended by 124 people from across the state of Ohio, including Columbiana County Sheriff Brian McLaughlin, Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene, Ohio Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel, Salem Police Chief J.T. Panezott and Perry Township Police Chief Richard Kimble. The annual service pays homage to the officers who make the ultimate sacrifice to protect their communities, states, and nation each year. In 2023, 138 officers across the United States gave their lives in the line of duty, and each had their name, department or agency, and rank recognized individually by Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office Detective Ryan Pike during a bagpipe dirge, which was followed by “Amazing Grace,” performed by bagpiper Kim Meek.

Garber said that the memorial luncheon has been an annual tradition in Salem for “over 20 years” and that preparations begin up to a year in advance each year to arrange a guest speaker, venue and menu, and typically sees 115 to 130 attendees each year. Garber explained that the event is typically held the week after National Peace Officers Memorial Day on May 15 to allow FOP members and other attendees to travel to Washington, D.C., for police week, and that the event is their way to “honor our fallen officers and pay tribute to them.”

“We have members that actually go to Washington, D.C., for police week, and people who attend our event each year that go, so holding it a week after lets everyone attend our event,” said Garber.

Shown is Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office Detective Ryan Pike, who gave the final roll call of all officers who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty in 2023.

Garber’s sentiments were echoed by Panezott when asked for his thoughts on the service.

“The biggest honor we have as officers is to recognize and honor those that have given the ultimate sacrifice to protect the freedom and safety of their communities,” said Panezott.

In addition to individual recognitions, the event’s purpose is exemplified each year by a special table set in memoriam of all the officers who gave their lives in the line of duty the year prior, with each element of the table carrying a specific meaning. Kenny Biacco, Fraternal Order of Police Quaker Lodge 88 treasurer and retired Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office sergeant, explained that the table’s round shape represents the everlasting concern for fallen officers, the color of the white tablecloth symbolizes the purity of their intentions when answering the call of duty, the single red rose in a vase reminds the living loved ones and friends of each officer to keep the faith, the blue ribbon tied on the vase symbolizes the determination to remember the fallen officers, the drinking glass is placed inverted to represent their inability to drink and toast with their brothers in service, the slice of lemon placed on a bread plate reminds of their bitter fate, the salt upon the plate is symbolic of the tears endured by the families of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, the Bible represents the strength gained through faith to sustain those lost, the candle is lit to symbolize the preservation of their spirit, and the empty chair serves as the ultimate reminder that they are no longer with us.

This year’s guest speaker was Peter J. Elliott, a U.S. marshal for the Northern District of Ohio, one of 94 current U.S. marshals and the longest serving marshal in Ohio’s history, having been appointed March 10, 2003, by former President George W. Bush, and subsequently retained by the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations.

A Lakewood native and Saint Edward High School alum, Elliott has been active in law enforcement in Northeast Ohio for nearly 40 years and holds a degree in public administration from Capital University. During his time as a marshal Elliott has established many programs to increase collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement, and involve communities in making their streets safer including the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force in 2003, the Fugitive Safe Surrender Program in 2005, a new Cold Case Unit in 2015, and the Missing Child Unit in 2020.

Each year’s service sees community members, and active, and retired officers and their families from across the state of Ohio attend. This years’ service was attended by 124 people.

Elliott’s remarks championed the unique bond held by all law enforcement officers local, state, and federal, regardless of agency or geographic location, which he said “was like no other profession in the world,” and the vital role that the FOP plays in maintaining those bonds, and remembering those who make the ultimate sacrifice.

“In my 37-year career in federal law enforcement, I have seen so so much including a lot of violence against our profession, as I’m sure most of you have here, and lately it seems to be getting worse for all of us in law enforcement,” said Elliott. “But in those year, all those years, I have also witnessed our unity, our resilience, our strong bond together that cannot be broken, even by those that have no respect for our badges, or our profession.”

Elliot shared the stories of several officers killed in the line of duty including that of Euclid Police Department Officer Jacob Derbin, who succumbed to injuries received when responding to a disturbance on May 11, and of the lengths that their fellow law enforcement officers will go to bring their killers to justice.

“The unity and commitment of our profession, the dedication that stay forever, ever after we will always persevere together, and after the loss of Derbin I saw our unity, our strength together through Euclid Police Chief Scott Meyer and his great department, and witnessed all the great citizens that came forward to support our law enforcement family with heartfelt offers of assistance, including offers to cover the expense of the funeral and celebration of life,” said Elliott.

Elliott concluded his remarks quoting American author Mark Twain: “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why,” noting that each and every fallen officer “knew the reason why,” and that their memory and example would continue to inspire and unite their fellow law enforcement officers.

At each year’s service a memorial table is set for all officers who gave their lives in the line of duty the year prior, with each element of the table carrying a specific meaning.

mahart@mojonews.com

Shown is Fraternal Order of Police Quaker Lodge 88 Treasurer and retired Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Kenny Biacco, who offered the introduction for guest speaker U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Ohio Peter J. Elliott and conducted the special recognitions with the assistance of by Deputy Willie Coleman, retired Deputy Duane Thornton and retired Columbiana Patrolman Wayne Wickline.

Shown is Father Chad Johnson of St. Jude Catholic Church in Columbiana, who offered the invocation and led all in attendance in a blessing to all law enforcement and a blessing to all at the service’s conclusion.

Shown is this year’s guest speaker U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Ohio Peter J. Elliott, one of 94 current U.S. Marshals, and the longest serving marshal in Ohio’s history. Elliott has been active in law enforcement in Northeast Ohio for nearly 40 years.