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Shaw celebrates Police Week with community

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Diana M. Cossaboom
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Shaw Air Force Base and the Sumter, S.C., community came together to honor civil and military peace keepers during National Police Week.

From May 12-17, the 20th Security Forces Squadron alongside local and state law enforcement agencies held events commemorating the week and creating ties between the different peace officers.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation which designated May 15th as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week.

"The date was recognized as a way to not only honor peace officers for their dedication to service of their community," Tech. Sgt. Dontrey Lampkin, 20th SFS investigator, "but also to pay tribute and honor those that made the ultimate sacrifice."

To honor the week, peace keepers participated in a number of activities which include: a golf tournament at Sunset Golf Course, prayer breakfast at the M.H. Newton Family Life Center, pistol match at the Sumter County Police Department, blood drive at the Sumter County Library, and the 5K Hot Pursuit run through downtown Sumter.

"It was a great week with lots of camaraderie between local and state law enforcement agencies and the Shaw community," said Tonyia McGrit, Sumter Police Department public information officer.

It was good to have several different organizations come together as comrades in arms, all dedicated to protect and serve their respective communities, said Tech. Sgt. Amy Hall, 20th SFS investigator.

"Shaw plays a key role in the vitality of the local economy and the quality of life here," said McGrit. "We are also vested in the community and do our part in making Sumter a place where those coming to Shaw will want to raise their families and possibly remain after retirement."

By holding the events, it gave the Sumter community and Shaw Airmen an opportunity to establish a bond that can improve the already successful relationship between base and community.

By combining the events with local counterparts, the agencies were able to share their successes and failures, but most of all learn from each other and continue to enhance relationships as well as discuss ways to better serve the community and continue to support each other, said Hall.