During National Police Week, I’m reminded of the men and women of our police force who put on their uniform, hug their kids, kiss their loved ones goodbye, and leave for work to protect and serve. They never know if they will ever walk back through that door at the end of the night, but they do it anyway to keep us safe. 

My hope is that we can all come together this week to say thank you to those in blue for their selfless service to our Eastern Washington community. We should also take a moment to pause and honor the lives of those who did not make it back home, including one of Spokane’s finest, Officer John Hughes, who tragically lost his life earlier this year while executing an arrest warrant on an assault suspect.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of joining his wife Diane at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., where her husband’s name was etched in the stone of history.

To each and every one of our law enforcement officers out there – past and present – we thank you for selflessly serving and sacrificing so much for our communities.