Dear Massachusetts Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation Supporters,
It is with deep regret that I write to notify you that the 2020, 34th annual Massachusetts Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation service will not be held this year. We will honor those 2020 Officers during the 2021 ceremonies during the Fall of 2021. With the ongoing uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic we thought it wise to not subject our supporters and their families to any potential exposure by holding this event.
The Officers that were to be honored will have their names engraved on the Memorial during August of this year and will be included in our 2020-2021 program booklet which will be published next summer.
Here is the list of Officers that were to be honored in 2020:
Cambridge Police Officer Thomas Dynan End of Watch 12-31-1911 served for 30 years and was struck and killed by a street car.
Metropolitan District Commission – Sergeant Harold J. Collins End of Watch 05-31-2012 – Sgt. Collins in 1955 after rescuing a young child from drowning who was later identified as being a carrier of all three strains of polio. Sgt. Collins continued to experience the effects of polio disease and eventually was forced to retire in 1979 and then had post-polio syndrome in 2004 and subsequently passed of these effects on May 31, 2012.
Metropolitan District Commission – Inspector James B. DeShazo End of Watch 05-17-1915 – Inspector DeShazo was physically assaulted in the Worcester officer of the MDC and died from the injuries sustained in this assault.
We look forward to the end of this pandemic and for our lives to return to a sense of normalcy and pray that day will be soon. May you all continue to Stay Healthy and Safe and we will meet again in 2021.
Sincerely,
Cecil Jones, President MLEMF