Joint Statement by Trustees of Care of Police Survivors & the Trustees of Police Arboretum Memorial Trust.

Joint Statement by Trustees of Care of Police Survivors & the Trustees of Police Arboretum Memorial Trust to confirm decisions taken and decisions that remain to be taken by the Trustees of the Police Arboretum Memorial Trust in respect of the names of officers and staff to be commemorated on the memorial.

The new UK Police Memorial is a tribute of national significance that will honour the men and women of the police service who have lost their lives.

In September 2016 the Board of Trustees from the Police Arboretum Memorial Trust (PAMT) agreed with a recommendation from the Independent Names Committee to inscribe on the Memorial the names of police officers and police staff who receive injuries in the execution of their lawful duty from which they subsequently die.

There are many stakeholder groups from within the Police family involved with the Memorial, for whose support the Police Arboretum Memorial Trust is extremely grateful. Care of Police Survivors (COPS) has been deeply concerned that all on duty deaths be properly remembered. These views have been expressed privately to the PAMT Trustees and publicly. Accordingly, both Boards of Trustees believe this joint statement is necessary.

The Board of Trustees from Care of Police Survivors (COPS) welcomes the decision by the Trustees of the PAMT to reconvene the Independent Names Committee to further examine and make recommendations by September 2017 on how the names of all officers and staff who die in service can be commemorated in a tangible and meaningful way as part of the Memorial.

Both COPS and PAMT are keen that the new UK Police Memorial should commemorate, honour and remember all those from the police service who have lost their lives in the service of their country.

About Chris Webb