Murkowski Pays Tribute to Fallen Officers During National Police Week
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) spoke on the Senate floor to pay tribute to the officers who died in the line of duty during 2016, including Sergeant Allen David Brandt of the Fairbanks Police Department.
“Law enforcement remains very dangerous work, and for all the satisfaction that comes from serving people in their darkest moments, there are no guarantees the officer will return home. I hope that during this National Police Week and throughout the year, we will reflect on Allen Brandt's final words: ‘Law enforcement needs our support and not just when bad things happen.’ In these times, law enforcement needs that support now more than ever. On behalf of my Senate colleagues, I offer my continued condolences to Natasha Brandt and her family, to Allen Brandt's colleagues, and to survivors of law enforcement tragedies everywhere.”
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“When you experience things like this, you cannot help but appreciate the humanity behind the uniforms – a father, a mother, an aunt, an uncle, a friend, a colleague, a neighbor. Law enforcement is no stranger to controversy. Yet it is so important that we see beyond controversy; that when we look at an officer we see the humanity that runs toward danger and not from it; the humanity that responds to every call for service, not knowing whether it will be the last; the humanity that kisses a child goodbye before beginning a shift, not knowing whether he will ever see those children again; the humanity that was Allen Brandt.”
Click here to read Senator Murkowski’s entire speech.
Background: Police Week begins with the dedication of names added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial on Judiciary Square. Sergeant Allen David Brandt of the Fairbanks Police Department was added to the wall, the only Alaskan added this year. Allen's name is inscribed on the memorial wall among the 21,000 officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice. His name appears on the bottom of Panel 21-East.
