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REMARKS OF DISTRICT ATTORNEY DANIEL F. CONLEY Dedication of Boston Police Department Memorial October 3, 2005Thank you. I wish to thank Mayor Menino and Commissioner O'Toole for the invitation to share my thoughts at this important ceremony. I'd like to thank, too, the Boston Police Relief Association and Captain Robert Flaherty for the leadership roles they played in this effort, and every police employee, sworn and civilian, who made contributions to fund this project. Above all, I would like to thank the members of the Boston Police Department past and present for their service to our city. It is entirely fitting that we recognize them with this memorial. It is noteworthy that this dedication ceremony, planned some time ago, comes just a few hours after several Boston police officers again put their lives on the line to protect our city. As all of you know, the incident early this morning in the Theater District is still under investigation, so we cannot discuss many details. But we can tell you that when officers responded after hearing shots fired, they were confronted by an armed suspect who, we believe, had just shot a man. During that confrontation with the armed suspect, the officers fired their weapons. As you know, the suspect died as a result of that confrontation. And while we are still investigating the events of this morning in the Theater District, this much is indisputable: The officers involved acted swiftly and bravely, and made a split-second decision to take decisive action. I can think of no other profession that demands such clear thinking in so immediate an instance, all in the name of service to others. It is not easy to describe in just a few words what our city owes these men and women. They become police officers to seek neither fame nor fortune, but, instead, to serve their city and its citizens with valor, courage and compassion. They do so knowing there are no guarantees - no guarantees for their own personal safety, and no guarantees that their fine work day in and day out will be recognized by anyone other than their brothers and sisters on the job and their families at home. I would like to say a few words about those families. As the brother of a Boston police officer, I know the anxiety and concern that the families of officers accept as part of their lives. We have all heard, countless times, the phrase that officers leave their house for work never knowing for sure if they will be coming home at the end of their shift. That's true, and the same can be said about the wives and husbands and children and parents and siblings who wait at home for their loved ones to finish their tours of duty. So, in a way, I'd like to think this wonderful memorial is also testimony to the devotion of the families of police officers, whose patience and support make it possible for the men and women they love to do this most difficult of jobs. I said a few moments ago that there are no guarantees on the job. But as I speak to you, it occurs to me that there is in fact one guarantee. For those officers who are devoted to keeping the peace, seeking justice, and, above all, helping others - that is to say, for the vast majority of officers who have ever pinned on the badge -- there is the guarantee that you are going to make a difference for the better, and that is the truest memorial to your service. Be assured that everything you do, from apprehending hardened criminals to helping a lost child find her way home, has made and will continue to make Boston a better city. I thank you again for inviting me to be part of this very important dedication ceremony.
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