YARMOUTH – The Yarmouth Police Department will be represented this weekend at the wake and funeral for one of two New York City police officers shot in the line of duty on December 20.
Yarmouth Police Deputy Chief Steven Xiarhos said the Yarmouth Police Department is giving officers the option of attending the services and, he said, he has heard that Jet Blue airline as well as some bus companies are offering free transportation for officers across the county who want to attend the funerals.
He said the job of a police officer is dangerous even under normal circumstances, much less a situation where police are targeted.
“The job is very dangerous and we’re not shy about that. We’re not complaining. We’re proud of what we do but when you have people threatening to shoot us for no reason, they need to be held accountable. They need to be singled out and they need to be addressed not only by law enforcement and the criminal justice system but by the public,” he said.
The safety issue has gotten worse lately for police, he said.
“Every 52 hours a police officer is killed in the line of duty. It just so happens that lately there’s been more than normal and it’s been given a lot of attention. But the job is very dangerous,” he said.
New York City Police Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were ambushed as they sat in their patrol car in Brooklyn.
They were shot by Ismaaiyl Brinsley who then killed himself after the shooting.
The wake for Ramos is tonight and the funeral is Saturday.
Xiarhos said he is encouraging officers to attend.
“We will give officers time off to go. It’s important to show our support, especially with what’s happened recently,” he said.
He said the gathering of officers and their supporters from all across the country is gratifying. “It’s wonderful in a way. Bittersweet and I understand personally what it is like to be in a bittersweet situation. You have honor. You have courage that needs to be respected and it’s also very sad,” he said.
