Officers past and present honored at memorial service

BY RAY VAN COR

The Greenville Standard

 

The 22nd Annual Greenville Police Department Law Enforcement Memorial Service was held last Wednesday at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College’s Mitchell Conference Center.

The service was standing room only with more than a hundred in attendance. It is held to honor those who have served both past and present and those that made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

Local, county and state law enforcement agencies were all represented at the Memorial Service

Pastor Herbert Brown gave the invocation, then Greenville Police Chief Justin Lovvorn and Butler County Sheriff Danny Bond read the names of fallen officers prior to Fort Dale Academy’s fourth grade class rendition of the song “Halleluiah.”

Retired Greenville Police Chief Alonzo Ingram was the guest speaker for the service.

In addition to recognizing officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, the ceremony also honored the service of the department’s current officers.

The Greenville Police Department presented the Officer of the Year award to Officer Tony Bufford and the Gary Wayne Heath Education award was presented to Lieutenant Tommy Anderson.

The Butler County Sheriff’s Department recognized Investigator Sean Klaetsch with its Deputy of the Year award. The Georgiana Police Department recognized Corporal Willie Benbow as the department’s Office of the Year.

Law Enforcement is considered a necessary evil by some, in actuality it is a serious and arduous commitment to peace, and far too often a tireless and thankless job.

For those who serve, have served and have paid the ultimate sacrifice, we at the Greenville Standard recognize we are in your debt and sincerely thank you.