The Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc
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The Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc (or ODMP) is a web-based non-profit organization dedicated to honoring American Law Enforcement and Corrections Officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty, going as far back to the early days of America's existence all the way to present day. It was established in 1996 by James Madison University student Chris Cosgriff. At first, it only honored officers who lost their lives in that year, but eventually expanded to include officers from the entire decade. Since then, with assistance from the National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial Fund, ODMP has listed officers killed in the line of duty going all the way back to the 1790s.[1] With over 32,000 daily visitors, ODMP claims to be the most-visited law enforcement memorial in the United States.[2] In Addition the members of the ODMP volunteer research staff, which is run by a Sergeant from the New York City Police Department [3] , had uncovered hundreds of "forgotten" line of duty deaths, and helped to ensure those officers are properly recognized on the appropriate local, state and federal Law Enforcement memorials. [4]
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[edit] Criteria
ODMP lists State, Federal, and corrections officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty due to felonious causes, accidental causes, natural causes, health related causes, and previous injuries. Officers who have been killed off duty can be included if killed while acting in an official capacity to prevent loss of property, injury, or death, or is targeted because of his/her duties as a law enforcement officer. Military Police officers (enlisted personnel and commissioned officers serving in a branch of America's armed forces) can also be included, but only if killed while conducting conventional law enforcement operations. They may not be included for death that occurs as a result of combat during a time of war, military conflicts, military exercises, or military operations. Investigators/Special Agents working for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Army Criminal Investigation Command, Coast Guard Investigative Service, or Naval Criminal Investigative Service are eligible under the same criteria that applies to conventional police officers, and can be included if killed while assigned to war time areas for criminal or investigative purposes.
ODMP does not list private law enforcement, security, or corrections officers working for for-profit law enforcement companies (even if holding a state law enforcement commission)[5]
[edit] Disqualifying Factors
There are several factors that, if applicable, will deny an officer eligibility to be honored on ODMP. The organization does not list:
- Deaths attributed to voluntary alcohol or controlled substance abuse or while the victim officer is under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance
- Deaths caused by the intentional misconduct of the officer
- Deaths caused by the officer's intention to bring about his/her own death (suicide)
- Deaths attributed to an officer performing his/her duty in a grossly negligent manner at time of death
- Off-duty automobile accidents where the officer is not involved in any type of duty related activity
- Off-duty law enforcement officers serving as overseas peace keepers, government contractors, or active-duty military[6]
[edit] Layout
ODMP lists a profile for each officer honored on the website. Profiles typically display a picture of the officer (if one is available) and list the department the officer worked for, their rank in the department, how many years they had served with the department, their age, badge number, and the date they were killed.
Below that, their profile includes a brief description of the events that led up to and caused the officer's death. If the death was the result of an encounter with a criminal suspect, ODMP does not usually give the suspect's name. However, it does usually state if the suspect was apprehended, along with what sentence they have received if convicted, as well as if the suspect was acquitted or paroled.
Generally, the description ends with a list of all the police agencies the officer ever served with (as well as military experience if applicable) and the officer's immediate relatives (though it does not give their names).
There is no advertisements anywhere on the ODMP site. While the ODMP does have a "gift shop", which sells items such at T-Shirts and bumper stickers, all the proceeds are used to maintain the site and no profit is earned by anyone.
[edit] Reflections
Each officer profile on ODMP has a "Reflections" section where anyone visiting the profile can post their condolences for the slain officer.
Any posting in this section that contains negative, derogatory, or abusive comments will generally not be posted or later removed.
[edit] ODMP in other countries
ODMP has established websites for other countries besides the United States, including Canada, and Central Europe, however the Central Europe site is not maintained by the staff of US or Canadian Sites.
