The State Capitol dome is blue this month in honor of Missouri’s law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Most of us know the members of law enforcement in our communities. We see them helping a stranded motorist fix a flat tire or working an accident at 3 a.m. when everyone else is sleeping. They are often the first on the scene in an emergency situation, and they are the last line of defense against the most dangerous and violent criminals in our society. Beyond this, we know them as our fellow citizens; someone who cheers on their kids at the football game or someone we run into at the grocery store. We know they work hard, they put themselves in harm’s way every day they put on the uniform.
Since Missouri became a state in 1821, 677 members of law enforcement have given their lives in the line of duty. This year alone, our state has lost two officers in the line of duty. Officer Christopher Morton of the Clinton Police Department was shot while responding to a call of an unknown situation. Upon arrival, Officer Morton and two other officers were shot, Officer Morton died as a result of his injuries on March 6. On April 20, Miller County Deputy Sheriff Casey Shoemate was killed in a vehicle accident as he was responding to a fire at a co-workers home. These dedicated public servants lost their lives protecting the citizens they served. Their sacrifices, and the sacrifices of the more than 21,000 members of law enforcement that have been killed since 1791, will never be forgotten.
I encourage each of you to place a blue light bulb on the outside of your home to show your support for fallen members of law enforcement, not just during May, but all year.
The blue lighting on the Capitol dome is possible because of renovations made to the dome in February of this year. A touchscreen interface makes it possible to adjust the lights’ color without changing each individual bulb.
As always, I encourage my constituents to contact me throughout the year with comments, questions or suggestions by calling my office at (573) 751-5713. To find more information about the bills I sponsor, visit www.senate.mo.gov/brown. Thank you for reading this and for your participation in state government.