The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office will host its annual memorial service Tuesday morning to honor five deputies who lost their lives in the line of duty.
Sheriff Eddie Farris said the local event coincides with National Police Week and National Peace Officers Memorial Day, which was established by President John Kennedy in 1962. Farris said the agency has held this specific recognition ceremony every year since he took office over 10 years ago.
“We pay special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others,” Farris said. “And so tomorrow, we’ll be honoring not only the nation’s police officers across the country but the five deputies who’ve lost their lives in the line of duty here in Putnam County for the Putnam County Sheriff’s office.”
Farris said the department originally had only two names inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C. Farris said two additional names were added in 2017, and a fifth deputy will be officially inscribed on the national wall this Wednesday.
“So we’ll have five on there and so certainly recognizes, you know, the deputies who lost their lives in the line of duty right here in Putnam County and we certainly don’t need to forget that,” Farris said. “They’re laying their lives down for all the other citizens here in Putnam County and it certainly, you know, it’s… we serve the citizens here in Putnam County.”
Farris said the memorial serves as a reminder to current deputies of the inherent risks associated with the profession. Farris said the department prioritizes advanced training, modern equipment, and new technology to mitigate those dangers.
“Well, they certainly know what can happen and could happen when they sign up to be a deputy sheriff,” Farris said. “And so this just brings it home a little closer that in reality, it’s not just something we talk about but something that can actually happen.”
Farris said the ceremony is open to the public and will feature several guest speakers and singers. Farris said the keynote speaker for the event is Gary Denham, a local resident and retired 20-year Navy veteran who served as a Navy SEAL.
“As Sheriff and as the deputies work here for me at the Putnam County Sheriff’s office, we want to continue making sure Putnam County’s safe,” Farris said. “And, you know, we have a lot of encounters over a course of a year with a lot of people wanting to do evil stuff. So it’s certainly important that we recognize the people who’s paid the ultimate sacrifice for us.”