Fairfax is First to Honor Own Officers With Museum Fund Donation

Fairfax City became the first municipality to donate money to the construction of a national museum memorializing law enforcement as a way to pay tribute to the 60-some officers who make up the city's police department.

Though there have been other municipalites that made donations to the National Law Enforcement Officers Museum Fund, Fairfax City was the first to do so to honor its own police officers, said Chief Rick Rappoport at Tuesday night's city council meeting.

The $2,000 donation came from seized assets, not taxpayers' wallets.

Lt. Craig Buckley, president of City of Fairfax Police Association, presented an additional $2,000 to the fund on behalf of the association.

"We believe it's important to tell the story of our profession," he said, mentioning the efforts city officers make to assist families of fallen officers in their travels to Washington D.C. and participate in national police events.

Expected to open in late 2013, the museum will honor the duty and sacrifice made by America's law enforcement officers, said Craig Floyd, CEO of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and Fairfax County resident.

A national memorial already names more than 19,000 officers who were killed in the line of duty. The museum aims to tell their stories, as well as those of the officers who put their lives on the line on an everyday basis, Floyd said.

So far the fund has received over $43 million in donations from law enforcement agencies around the nation.