Ceremony in Neosho pays tribute to fallen officers on Peace Officers Memorial Day

Casey Foreman
·2 min read

NEOSHO, Mo. — Local law enforcement agencies gather in Neosho to recognize Peace Officers Memorial Day.

The Newton County Sheriff’s Office held a ceremony at the “Lampo Center” on Wednesday, with local law enforcement and emergency management officials in attendance, to honor those who’ve lost their lives in the line of duty.

“It’s important to honor the officers that have lost their lives but also honor the officers that still, every day, go out and do their job,” said Sheriff Chris Jennings, Newton County Sheriff’s Office.

Newton County Sheriff chaplains took time to read the names of 12 fallen officers… each killed over the last year… and were all based in either Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, or Arkansas.

“The importance of this is not to forget. Not to forget, just like we do with our military people – don’t forget the sacrifice that people have paid, for what we have here in our local law enforcement, just in our cities, our towns, our counties, our states,” said Mark Taylor, Newton County Sheriff’s Office chaplain.

Both Mark Taylor and Sheriff Jennings tell us this was the largest turnout they’ve seen, in the long history of the event.

With Taylor adding, he’s glad to see so many people, appreciating law enforcement.

“There’s just so much that goes into law enforcement. The hours are strenuous and also the things that they have to see, that the common person in an 8-hour shift every day, they don’t have to see those things,” said Taylor.

Sheriff Jennings was also recognized for more than 44 years of service – ahead of his planned retirement, at the end of the year.

“December 31st is my last day – that will be 44 and a half years in and it’s, I don’t know. I just never thought about retirement until recently and it’s gonna be tough for me,” said Jennings.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com.