POLICE MEMORIAL WEEK 2023: 'It takes a very special individual to be a police officer'

May 18—TRAVERSE CITY — Clad in dress uniforms under a bright blue sky, local law enforcement gathered Wednesday to honor fallen officers as part of Police Memorial Week.

At 1 p.m. under the flag in front of the Governmental Center, Traverse City Police Chief Jeffrey O'Brien led the annual observance for the last time as chief. O'Brien is retiring next month.

The ceremony included a prayer and benediction by St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church Pastor Don Geyman, a presentation by the Honor Guard and remarks by 13th Circuit Court Judge Charles Hamlyn.

Members from TCPD, Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office, Leelanau County Sheriff's Office and Michigan State Police were in attendance, along with approximately 75 community members.

This event takes place each year during National Police Memorial Week, May 15-20, which was enacted in 1962 by then-President John F. Kennedy.

For the first time, the week coincided with the newly declared Michigan Police Week May 14-20. A bipartisan bill was passed by the state legislature last week.

In 2021, 129 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty, according to Federal Bureau of Investigation data.

"At a time when law enforcement is under attack, it's never been more important to show our collective support for those who run towards the sound of gunfire," state Rep. Andrew Beeler said in a statement. "Police Week will give us all a reason to thank our local police, county sheriffs, and state troopers who keep us safe around the clock.

"Without safe communities, businesses fail and families can't thrive. Law enforcement makes that possible and, this week, we thank them."

This year, Police Memorial Week holds special meaning for the Traverse City community as it marks the 25th anniversary of the death of the namesake for the law enforcement center on Woodmere Avenue: TCPD Sgt. Dennis Finch.

Finch had served the department for 30 years when he was shot and killed in the line of duty on May 12, 1998.

O'Brien said that Finch was negotiating with a man on a porch in the 200 block of Wellington Street when he shot Finch.

The sergeant had dealt with the man before and likely felt they had a rapport with each other, O'Brien said. Finch died of the gunshot wounds the next day at Munson Medical Center.

"His passing and the way that he died really was a growing-up period for Traverse City," O'Brien said. "It really transitioned from a sleepy little resort community, that in the winter there was nobody here, to a recognition — or more of an understanding — that the law enforcement is dangerous and the possibility that one of our own won't go home."

O'Brien was serving as a captain of the department at the time, and said Finch was one of his sergeants. "He was full of life and he lived his life to the fullest," he said of his friend and colleague, who he called "Finchy."

The chief said he's seen community policing get significantly more dangerous over the course of his 32-year career.

"It takes a very special individual to be a police officer," O'Brien said. "To take the criticism, to handle the stress."

Hamlyn echoed O'Brien's sentiments in his comments, thanking local law enforcement officers for the sacrifices they make each day.

"A normal day doesn't exist for them," the judge said. "I could keep us here all afternoon listing the things they face."