Washington, DC - Monday, Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director Jim Carroll released the following statement in honor of National Police Week.
“We will always honor the memories of fallen officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice following their solemn oath to protect us all. While we mourn the loss of these heroes, their brothers and sisters in law enforcement continue to stop the flow of drugs entering through our borders and protect those struggling with drug addiction. Although there are challenges and dangers that our officers face, the law enforcement community continually answers the call to serve. President Trump and his Administration are committed to standing with our selfless law enforcement officers who defend America time and time again,” ONDCP Director Jim Carroll said.
National Police Week is dedicated to honoring our law enforcement heroes and recognizing the families of fallen officers who risked their lives to protect and defend our Nation. This year, we will march forward in solidarity to honor 307 fallen heroes being memorialized on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.
In the past year, two officers connected to High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Task Forces died working on the front lines, determined to keep our communities safe and Americans healthy. On November 7, 2019, Detective Jorge DelRio, from the Dayton Police Department in Ohio, suffered gunshot wounds while serving a search warrant as part of a Drug Enforcement Administration-led HIDTA Task Force. On December 6, 2019, U.S. Army veteran and Strategic Counterdrug Team Agent Billy Clardy III was shot and killed while participating in a narcotics buy-bust operation with the Gulf Coast HIDTA Madison-Morgan Task Force.
ONDCP’s National HIDTA program serves the Nation by helping to coordinate the drug enforcement efforts of Federal, State, local, and tribal agencies in critical regions of the country.