The Officer Down Memorial Podcast – A Minnesota Sheriff’s effort to memorialize the fallen.
“The Officer Down Memorial Podcast is dedicated to the memory of our fallen heroes in law enforcement, to the agencies they served with, and to the families they left behind. “
Officer Down Memorial Podcast website.
Each May our country sets aside a week to honor law enforcement through National Police Week. The seven-day period is scheduled to coincide annually with May 15, which was designated by President Kennedy in 1962 as National Peace Officer’s Memorial Day.
Annual events are held in Washington, D.C. and across the nation, including Minnesota. Minnesota’s own law enforcement memorial was established in 1977, and now stands near the state capitol in St. Paul. Learn more about National Police Week, and the national and Minnesota memorials here: https://nleomf.org/about/; https://nleomf.org/; https://mnlema.org/about-us/mn-state-memorial/.
Since records began in the late 1700s, some 23,000 peace officers have died in the line of duty serving communities across our country. Minnesota’s line of duty deaths stands at 275 since 1881. When a Minnesota officer is killed in the line of duty, the Law Enforcement Memorial Association (LEMA) coordinates the funeral arrangements in coordination with the fallen officer’s family, as these events typically are attended by thousands of officers and public mourners.
A fitting complement to these memorials and tributes has been created by Dodge County Minnesota Sheriff Scott Rose — the Officer Down Memorial Podcast. Sheriff Rose, a board member of the Minnesota Law Enforcement Memorial Association with a background in radio and audio production, began producing the podcast in 2020 to memorialize the stories of our fallen officers.
“These podcasts are produced in a story telling format sharing these officer’s stories based on input from the men and women who served with them and the families who were left behind. Older stories are written using historical documents and newspaper records. The goal of this program is to honor these fallen heroes, to remember their service, to always support the families they left behind, and to never forget their sacrifice.”
Since the podcast’s inception, Sheriff Rose has researched and produced 33 podcasts involving the deaths of 32 peace officers between 1866 to 2019. While the majority of the incidents are Minnesota based, three are from outstate, and a fourth recounts a harrowing survival story from a Wisconsin deputy who was attacked and found the will to survive while overcoming his assailant.
The podcast is gaining popularity with downloads occurring in all 50 states and 60 countries across the world. The segments are well-researched and professionally produced, all helping to pay appropriate tribute to the heroes these stories memorialize. Segments weave narrative storytelling, recorded police dispatch, first-hand accounts from officers, witnesses, and family, and media reports making each segment a riveting recount of these tragic events.
Sheriff Rose invests his personal time in this project and relies on donations from the public, via the website, and support from Law Enforcement Labor Services (LELS) for operating costs.
During National Police Week this year, consider listening to one of these segments and learning more about the sacrifices these officers made for our communities. As a primer, follow the link here to listen to the segment memorializing the murder of Cold Spring Police Officer Thomas Decker on November 29, 2012.
God bless the peacemakers.