Police Memorial Day 2025.
Cambridgeshire Police Federation chair Liz Groom is encouraging officers to consider attending this year’s National Police Memorial Day service.
The annual service is one of the key events in the policing calendar and is being held in Coventry on Sunday 28 September.
“I will be attending the service representing our Federation branch but also our members,” says Liz, “I really think that every officer should attend the memorial day at least once during their service.
“It is a formal occasion and one that demonstrates the unique role police officers play in our communities. Officers are committed to serving the public and, in doing so, often find themselves in dangerous situations. Sadly, that means that there are incidents in which they lose their lives.
“The memorial day service remembers our fallen colleagues and also shows their families that their sacrifice is never forgotten.”
National Police Memorial Day was first held in London in 2004 and was set up by former Kent officer Joe Holness in the wake of the brutal death of his colleague PC Jon Odell in Margate in December 2000.
Since then, it has rotated around the four nations of the UK, generally being held in London when it has come to England. But in 2021 it was hosted at Lincoln Cathedral and this year, for the first time in the service’s history, will be held at Coventry Cathedral.
The service starts at 2pm and will see police officers of all ranks, along with representatives of the Police Federation and other policing bodies, stand alongside the families of fallen officers to pay tribute to all those who have lost their lives in service.
During the service, a roll of honour will be read out listing the names of officers who have died on duty in the 12 months since the 2024 memorial day in Glasgow. Relatives of four fallen officers will light candles to commemorate police lives lost in each of the four nations of the UK.
“National Police Memorial Day allows us to come together to remember those officers who have been killed or died on duty while demonstrating our support for their relatives, friends and colleagues but it also allows us to recognise the dedication to duty and courage of police officers across the UK,” says Liz.
“It is incredibly important that events such as this are held and for us to honour our fallen officers.”