Skip to main content

Top Cops Honored at the White House

President Obama and Vice President Biden put aside their differences that came about over the timing of the administration's announcement to support same-sex marriage, to honor a few special police officers for their valiant acts of bravery.

President Obama with Vice President Biden and
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano honor the nation's  top cops.
"The officers here today have been singled out for extraordinary acts of bravery." said Vice President Biden who called the assembled men and women "a remarkable group of people".

Vice President Biden, speaking in a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden, also credited the officers for their work in the community, calling the officers a "unique bunch of individuals."



"You’re not only the people who risk your lives to protect all of us, you're also the first ones out there to volunteer to lay down the lines of the Little League field. You’re the first ones to volunteer at youth camps. You’re the first one to help your neighbor, whether you've got a badge on or not. 

The thirty-four assembled 'Top Cops', members of the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), included officers from cities across the country: Los Angeles; Florida (Miami Dade); Chicago, Illinois; Massachusetts; Detroit, Michigan; Las Vegas; New York; Ohio, and Tennessee.  

The officers weren't the only ones receiving praise from the vice president today. Biden also credited President Obama ("without fear of contradiction") as a leader in signing legislation that put more cops on the street, and for providing essential funds needed to replace outdated or non-existent law enforcement communications systems.
 
"This man has been committed to law enforcement his entire career. He has never, never wavered from fighting to make sure you guys have the resources you need not only to protect your communities, but to protect one another, to protect your brothers and sisters. He understands what you know, that having more cops on the street is going to keep you safer."

"Today, we celebrate 34 extraordinary individuals" said President Obama. "And we recognize the sacrifices they and their fellow officers make. We honor all those who have put their lives on the line in order to protect their fellow citizens even if they were complete strangers."

While none of the officers honored at the White House today hailed from the District of Columbia, the city had its own celebration, in conjunction with National Police Week (NPW), by having a 5K race. 

NPW honors law enforcement officers who have given their lives while serving in the line of duty.

Also along those lines, several police officers who rode their bicycles from Charlotte, North Carolina are expected to arrive in DC today where they will then hold a candlelight vigil on Sunday at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

In wake of the Zika virus, travel, spring break still O.K.

Representatives from the CDC and the NIH were on hand at the White House during Monday's press briefing to update the public and address concerns over the Zika virus that has caused some babies to be born with deformities. Dr. Anne Schuchat from the Centers for Disease Control and Dr. Tony Fauci from the National Institutes of Health told reporters that a vaccine is in the making.   The pair also said they are particulary concerned about women who are pregnant, or plan to get pregnant, who have either traveled to or plan to travel to areas of South America and the Carribean known to have the Zika virus. Despite those bold statements, the doctors said there is no wide-spread concern and that Americans should continue to travel, including during upcoming college spring breaks --  when college students travel to warmer climate destinations to escape winter weather. "Travel to Zika-affected areas is very common among Americans, and we don’t think that needs to stop&quo

President Biden's EV Agenda

  Electric Vehicles   President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda is Unleashing a Manufacturing and Clean Energy Boom and Accelerating the Production of Affordable Electric Vehicles   As part of President Biden’s goal of having 50 percent of all new vehicle sales be electric by 2030, the White House is announcing the first set of public and private commitments to support America's historic transition to electric vehicles (EV) under the EV Acceleration Challenge.   These commitments are part of President Biden's  Investing in America  agenda to spur domestic manufacturing, strengthen supply chains, boost U.S. competitiveness and create good-paying jobs. Because of President Biden’s leadership and historic investments, electric vehicle sales have tripled and the number of publicly available charging ports has grown by over 40 percent since he took office. There are now more than three million EVs on the road and over 135,000 public EV chargers across the country.     President

(OTR): The White House on Hamas Terrorist Attack

 Tip: long read. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 10, 2023 VIRTUAL ON-THE-RECORD GAGGLE BY NSC COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS JOHN KIRBY ON HAMAS TERRORIST ATTACKS IN ISRAEL   Via Teleconference 5:54 P.M. EDT   MR. KIRBY:  Good evening, everybody.  As you know, the White House has been closely following the situation in Israel, and the President has been actively engaged, regularly receiving updates on the latest developments from the national security team.  In fact, this morning, he met with members of the senior team -- including the Secretary of State; National Security Advisor; the Principal Deputy National Security Advisor; the Homeland Security Advisor, Liz Sherwood-Randall; and, of course, the White House Chief of Staff, Jeff Zients -- all to receive the latest update from -- from the morning.     He has also spoken twice with Prime Minister Netanyahu this -- over the weekend, certainly to express our deep sympathy for all those missing, wounded, and killed and to pledge