Get answers to the most frequently asked questions about the way that our organization works, the people we support, and how we do it.
Behind the Badge Foundation’s ‘Memorial Committee’ is responsible for reviewing all petitions for inclusion. The Committee consists of current and former law enforcement officers, survivors, and civilian advocates. Each has demonstrated a commitment to protecting the sanctity of the Memorial and the honor of those names engraved upon it.
When a name is submitted for inclusion, the ‘Memorial Committee’ analyzes the unique circumstances of the officer’s death, comparing it to our Inclusion Criteria. If the committee sees a match, they make a recommendation to the organization’s board of directors to review and formally approve the officer’s name for inclusion.
It is important to know that the exclusion of an officer’s name from the Memorial is in no way a statement about the person, character or merits. The Memorial was built to accommodate a very narrow band of situationally based tragedies called a line of duty death (LoDD). A denial for inclusion should not be considered a statement about any officer’s service record, character, or value and more often has to do with the nature, manner, or timing of death.
While a single officer’s name may not meet WSLEM specific criteria, any fallen officer’s surviving family and agency can receive support and resources from Behind the Badge Foundation.
It’s important to know both that there are multiple, similar-sounding, terms describing an officer’s death while on duty and that various organizations define them differently. Behind the Badge Foundation defines them as follows:
An ‘On-Duty Death’ may be explained as an officer who was in a working capacity at the time of their death but does not meet the Criteria for Line of Duty Death. The officer’s agency may choose to provide resources and/or certain curtailed law enforcement honors to the family.
In-service death may be explained as an officer who was not on duty at the time of their death but was still employed by the agency. The officer’s agency may choose to provide resources and/or certain curtailed law enforcement honors to the family.
These explanations and definitions only apply to BtBF and WSLEM – other entities and organizations, including NLEOMF, PSOB, the State of Washington, and others, may have varied definitions and/or apply their own criteria differently.
The Memorial Committee has reviewed and considered hundreds of names for inclusion since its inception prior to the 2006 dedication of the Wall. At the time of this writing, there are 346 reaching back to 1854.