The Story Behind the National Law Enforcement Memorial

The Story Behind the National Law Enforcement Memorial

Author: Citizens Behind the Badge February 24, 2026 Duration: 27:19
Heroes Behind the Badge
NewsCultureGovernmentSocietySociety & Culture

Before the names are etched in stone, there are lives. Families. Communities forever changed.

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation on Heroes Behind the Badge, we sit down with Bill Alexander, CEO of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and a 25-year veteran of law enforcement.

This episode is not about headlines.

It’s not about politics.

And it’s not about statistics.

It’s about why the Memorial exists—and what it represents to the men and women who have stood watch over their communities for generations.

We talk about:

  1. What the Memorial means to officers who have lost colleagues
  2. The origin and mission of the National Law Enforcement Museum
  3. Why remembrance is a responsibility, not a ritual
  4. What Police Week reveals about the weight carried by surviving families
  5. Why every American should visit the Memorial at least once

This conversation is about legacy.

About sacrifice.

And about the quiet promise that no name is forgotten.

If you wear the badge, this episode honors those who came before you.

If you don’t, it offers a clearer understanding of what service has cost—and why it matters.

Learn More or Get Involved

https://citizensbehindthebadge.org

Listen to more episodes of Heroes Behind the Badge.

Like, Subscribe, and Share to support the men and women who serve behind the badge.


Heroes Behind the Badge is a podcast that brings you the untold stories of America's law enforcement community, from the front lines to the final call. Guided by Craig Floyd, who spent 34 years working alongside police officers across the nation, and joined by veteran facilitator Dennis Collins and law enforcement expert Bill Erfurth, the show cuts through misconceptions and focuses on the real people behind the badge. In each episode, listeners can expect candid conversations, hard-earned insights, and powerful moments that highlight service, sacrifice, and the realities of the job. If you want to listen episodes that go beyond headlines and hear stories shaped by experience and respect, Heroes Behind the Badge by {author} offers a clear, grounded perspective on the law enforcement community.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 52

Official website RSS
instagramyoutubelinkedin
Heroes Behind the Badge
Podcast Episodes
Policing in the Age of Viral Video - Power, Perception, and Trust [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:52
In this episode of Heroes Behind the Badge, we sit down with Rich Stanek for a candid conversation about policing in the age of viral video—and what happens when the same footage produces radically different interpretati…
He Survived a Shotgun Ambush Then the System Failed Him - Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:23
"Three years. That's all it took for my shooter to get away with it."===============**EDITOR'S NOTE:** This is Part 2 of Tom Weitzel's story, originally released on YouTube in December 2025. We're now making it available…
He Survived a Shotgun Ambush Then the System Failed Him - Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:32
In August 1987, Riverside, Illinois Police Officer Tom Weitzel stepped out of his squad car to check a suspicious vehicle parked on the wrong side of the street - no plates, dark tinted windows, door cracked open. Second…

«123456»