S.A.L.T. honors fallen officers at law enforcement memorial

Close to 100 community members came together Thursday, May 9, to honor the sacrifices of local law enforcement officers over the last 150 years.

The Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony was organized by Seniors and Lawmen Together (S.A.L.T.), which has put together such tributes at Cape Bible Chapel, 2911 Kage Road in Cape Girardeau, for the last several years.

“Today, we gather with heavy hearts, yet unwavering resolve, to pay tribute to the brave souls who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their communities,” said Alex Broch, assistant chief of the Jackson Police Department and current S.A.L.T. president. “As we stand in reflection, we honor the courage, dedication and unwavering commitment of those who have laid down their lives to uphold the principles of justice, safety and peace.”

During the ceremony, a group of police officers and highway patrol troopers put flowers in vases, one by one, as a “final call” to 53 regional fallen law enforcement officers stretching back to 1875.

Eric Olson, superintendent of the state Highway Patrol, speaks at the S.A.L.T. law enforcement memorial on Thursday, May 9, 2024. he related to the audience how he navigated the deaths of several highway patrol troopers during his time as a young trooper in the 1990s.Christopher Borro ~ cborro@semissourian.com

Eric Olson, superintendent of the state Highway Patrol, served as the event’s keynote speaker. He shared stories from his time as a young trooper in the 1990s when he dealt with the line of duty deaths of four Highway Patrol troopers.

There have been 31 uniformed members of the state Highway Patrol to die in the line of duty. Their portraits hang on a wall in the patrol’s headquarters: three rows of eight faces and one row of seven.

“As much history and tragedy and information there is behind those 31, that blank space sticks out. We all know how dangerous and what these jobs bring and the reason we stick with them is our commitment,” Olson said. “… If we don’t continue to observe these sacrifices, over time those sacrifices can be diminished, and it is our job to make sure that does not happen.”

Events such as the S.A.L.T. memorial, he said, bring public awareness to the lives of the fallen and what their families must go through.

Thursday’s memorial service also featured opening and closing prayers and the presentation of the Roger Fields Award of Excellence, named for the late assistant chief of the Cape Girardeau Police Department who died in 2014, to Cheryl Ellis.

Ellis assists with the Cape Girardeau and Jackson Area Chambers of Commerce, the Cape Girardeau Police Department, mental health and suicide prevention groups and more.

“Cheryl is both visible and measurable … in her passion for both senior citizens and law enforcement and is recognized as the go-to person at S.A.L.T.,” former S.A.L.T. secretary Doug Austin said when presenting her the award.

In addition to the memorial service every May, which coincides with National Police Week, S.A.L.T. also hosts a senior information day every September for older citizens to learn about various services and an annual Christmas party.

“… We love these police officers so much and are so appreciative of what they do every single day as they lay their life on the line so we can have a good life,” Austin said. “… When you put the law enforcement community and the senior citizen community together, you’ve got a strong force there that can move mountains.”