National Police Week Memorial Service honors fallen officers in St. Joseph

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- The National Police Week Memorial Service took place at Civic Center Park, where families of fallen public servants and community members gathered to show their support for first responders killed in the line of duty.

Dozens of supporters came together to honor officers whose service spanned from the 1800s through the present day.

All Northwest Missouri law enforcement agencies participated in the ceremony, including the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the St. Joseph Police Department, St. Joseph Police Department and the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office.

Detective Brendan McGinnis with the St. Joseph Police Department served as the evening's speaker and shared his personal experience with loss.

"It's personal because I knew those people, which makes this a little bit tougher," McGinnis said. "Seeing the families makes it tough because I get to go home at night, and their loved one doesn't get to go home."

Attendees emphasized the importance of remembering officers from decades past.

Chris Stigall, an attendee, reflected on the ceremony's reach across history.

"We've heard names from the 1900s, even the 1800s. That tells you how special these people are to their fallen comrades, even hundreds of years later," Stigall said. "These are peace officers who do unthinkable things that most of us would never want to do, dark alleys, late night stops on the highway. They put themselves in harm's way, and there aren't many of us brave enough to do that for the rest of us."

McGinnis also reminded the community about the humanity behind the badge.

"It's a profession, but when we take this uniform off, we're just human beings too," he said. "We make mistakes, and we try to correct them. Our ultimate goal is to keep this community safe, and that's what we strive to do every day."

The St. Joseph Police Department encourages residents to celebrate National Police Week by thanking first responders and remembering that there is a heart behind the badge.