{"id":7611,"date":"2026-05-20T20:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T20:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7611"},"modified":"2026-05-20T20:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T20:30:00","slug":"va-police-honored-nationwide-during-national-police-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7611","title":{"rendered":"VA Police honored nationwide during National Police Week"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"tni-source-date\"><strong>Originally published:<\/strong> 2026-05-20T20:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A mission unlike any other<\/h2>\n<p>Across hundreds of medical centers, clinics and campuses, Department of Veterans Affairs police officers received recognition their mission deserves when the nation observed National Police Week and marked Peace Officers Memorial Day on May 15.<\/p>\n<p>From large, urban VA Medical Centers to rural outpatient clinics, more than 4,000 VA police officers serve as the frontline protectors of the nation\u2019s Veterans, men and women who came home from war and now depend on VA facilities for medical care, mental health treatment and a sense of stability.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">VA Police join the Greater Cleveland law enforcement community May 15, 2026, for a memorial service and roll call of fallen officers killed in the line of duty. Named on the memorial wall in Fort Huntington Park are VA Police Officers Mark Decker and Leonard Wilcox. (Photo by Kurt M. Rauschenberg, VA public affairs specialist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The observance, which President John F. Kennedy established by law in 1962, calls on Americans to honor law enforcement officers who have been killed or disabled in the line of duty and to recognize those who continue to serve. Assistant Secretary Reginald Neal, leading VA\u2019s Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness, said the week is about far more than just ceremony.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVA Police Officers answer two callings at once. The calling of law enforcement and the calling of service to those who served this nation first,\u201d Neal said. \u201cEvery shift they work, they are standing watch over the most honorable ground in America. That is not a small thing. That is extraordinary.\u201d <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Honoring the fallen, protecting the living<\/h2>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/?s=va+police\">VA Police<\/a> mission is distinct from traditional municipal law enforcement. Officers are trained to respond to the complex and sensitive needs of a Veteran population that may include individuals experiencing post-traumatic stress, mental health crises or physical disabilities. They patrol campuses where the stakes of maintaining safety are uniquely high, and where the trust between law enforcement and those they protect is foundational to care.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">VA Police Captain Daniel Kozar, assigned to the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, reflects on fallen officers killed in the line of duty whose name is now listed on a downtown Cleveland memorial wall May 15, 2026 in Fort Huntington Park. (Photo by Kurt M. Rauschenberg, VA public affairs specialist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>During this year\u2019s observance, VA facilities nationwide held wreath-laying ceremonies, moments of silence and memorial services honoring officers who have died in the line of duty.<\/p>\n<p>At the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/northeast-ohio-health-care\/locations\/louis-stokes-cleveland-department-of-veterans-affairs-medical-center\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center<\/a>, officers and staff gathered to honor two of their own, Police Officer Leonard Wilcox and Police Officer Mark Decker, who gave their lives in service to Veterans and whose sacrifice continues to shape the culture of VA law enforcement decades later.<\/p>\n<p>National Police Week also casts a broader light on the challenges faced by law enforcement families. Surviving spouses, children and parents of fallen officers are recognized in ceremonies in Washington and across the country, where the names of the newly fallen are added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A department that stands with its officers<\/h2>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">VA Senior Police Officer Darrius Daniels \u201cpresents arms\u201d during a fallen officer memorial service as he renders a salute May 15, 2026 in Fort Huntington Park, downtown Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Kurt M. Rauschenberg, VA public affairs specialist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>For VA police officers, the week serves as both a solemn reminder of the cost of their profession and a reaffirmation of why they chose it. Neal said the department will ensure that commitment is never taken for granted. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo every VA Police Officer serving today: We see you, we are grateful for you and we stand right beside you,\u201d Neal said. \u201cThe Veterans you protect deserve to feel safe, and because of the men and women wearing this badge, they do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>VA serves millions of Veterans annually across its network of medical centers, community-based outpatient clinics and regional offices. VA police provide law enforcement and security services at VA-owned and leased properties in all 50 states, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p class=\"tni-attribution\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/146896\/va-police-honored-nationwide-during-national-police-week\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>VA police officers received recognition as the nation observed National Police Week and marked Peace Officers Memorial Day on May 15.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":327,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-veteran-stories"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>VA Police honored nationwide during National Police Week - Its Veterans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"VA police officers received recognition as the nation observed National Police Week and marked Peace Officers Memorial Day on May 15.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7611\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"VA Police honored nationwide during National Police Week - 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