The Hays County Commissioners Court unanimously passed a proclamation designating May 13 as Peace Officers Memorial Day in recognizing officers in Hays County who have lost their lives or become disabled in the performance of duty. The proclamation also recognized the week in which this date falls as Police Week.
Peace Officers Memorial Day is sponsored at the nationwide level by the National Fraternal Order of Police and is implemented by the FOP Memorial Committee. The holiday was created on October 1, 1961, when Congress authorized President John F. Kennedy to designate a day to honor peace officers.
”It is important that all citizens know and understand the problems, duties and responsibilities of their law enforcement agencies, and that members of these agencies recognize their duty to serve the people by safeguarding life and property, protecting them against violence or disorder, and shielding the innocent against deception and the weak against oppression or intimidation,” the Hays County proclamation states.
Seven officers in Hays County have been killed in the line of duty, according to the proclamation, which recognized those officers as well as others who have who have become disabled while on duty:
“We will never forget the sacrifices of:
- Deputy Sheriff Henry C. Banks (Hays County Sheriff's Office)
- Night Watchman Henry H. Joslin (Kyle Police Department)
- Deputy Sheriff John S. Davis, Jr. (Hays County Sheriff's Office)
- Trooper Randall W. Vetter (Texas Department of Public Safety)
- Officer Kenneth M. Copeland (San Marcos Police Department)
- Officer Justin Putnam (San Marcos Police Department)
- Deputy Constable Manuel Phillipe De La Rosa (Hays County Constable’s Office, Precinct 2)
- Deputy Sheriff Dustin Speckels (Hays County Sheriff's Office)
- Correctional Officer James Henry (Hays County Sheriff's Office)”
Shane Smith, Captain of Support Services Law Enforcement Bureau for the Hays County Sheriff’s Office, appeared at the May 12 meeting to speak on the proclamation.
“This profession is not easy,” Smith said. “The men and women who wear the badge carry burdens most people never see, long hours, missed holidays, difficult calls, the weight of making critical decisions at a moment's notice. Yet every day, they continue to show up and serve. It is both a responsibility and privilege to protect the community we call home. Our deputies and officers do this work because they care deeply about the people in this county and the safety of our families.
“And while we recognize those who serve, we must also recognize the spouses and families who stand beside them. They carry the stress, the sacrifice and the uncertainty that comes with the profession, often without recognition, they support,” Smith said.
In their discussion of the proclamation, the Commissioners Court members emphasized the essential role of law enforcement in safeguarding rights and freedoms, as well as the importance of community support and recognition.
Judge Ruben Becerra praised the role of law officers as not only community members, but also citizen leaders.
“I thank you all for being not only the front line of our community defense and protection through the lens of public safety, but being embedded in our community in the way that you are, because that shows a capacity of accountability, which I think is the pinnacle of our public safety.”
Pct. 4 Commissioner Walt Smith discussed the role of the Commissioners Court in sending law officers to the national observance of Police Week in Washington D.C. to support the Hays County families of deceased officers. The Court had used ARPA funds in previous years, but last year added continuous funding into the base budget to support those families,” Smith said.
“We’ve sent along a group of constables to act as escorts for families who have lost their loved ones,” Smith said.
Pct. 1 Commissioner Debbie Ingalsby talked about the ongoing importance of peace officers to the county. ”I want to thank you and honor the courage, sacrifice and commitment of the men and women who serve our communities every day,” she said.
Later in the court session, Leticia Solis and Martin A. Espinoza were sworn in by Commissioner Ingalsby as regular full-time Deputies in the Hays County Constable's Precinct 1 Office.
