The law enforcement Honor Guard performs a gun salute to Osceola County's fallen officers at Wednesday's Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony. (Photo/Taylor McFee)
Members of local law enforcement agencies gathered at Bible Baptist Church in Kissimmee Wednesday to honor fallen officers and their families at the annual Osceola County Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony.
Representatives from the Florida Highway Patrol, Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, St. Cloud Police Department, Kissimmee Police Department, and Osceola County Corrections Department gathered to remember both those killed in the line of duty and others who died while serving.
“Their actions were not just part of the job; they were the embodiment of a calling rooted in service, sacrifice, and love for others,” said Osceola Corrections Chief Keith Neely.
Neely emphasized that the fallen officers were more than their uniforms.
“They were also fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, husbands and wives,” he said. “They had goals, dreams, and plans for their lives that extended beyond their job. They were people who showed up for their families, laughed with their friends, and made an impact beyond their deeds. And that is why the loss is so profound.”
Some of those families attended the ceremony Wednesday, placing roses on a wreath as their loved ones’ names were called. Neely addressed them directly: “We will remember your loved ones. We will speak their name, and we will work to ensure that their legacy continues to be remembered.”
State Attorney Monique Worrell noted the importance of what local law enforcement provides.
“We always recognize those who go abroad and make the ultimate sacrifice,” she said, “but I think that when we have enforcement out on the streets, we, as civilians, can never truly appreciate the sacrifice that they make – that their families ultimately make – for our safety.”
St. Cloud Police Department Chief Douglas Goerke said memorial services like this are deeply meaningful to him. With more than 25 years in law enforcement, Goerke has lost friends and coworkers, yet he finds inspiration in seeing others step up to continue serving.
“Our law enforcement officers go out every single day, not knowing if they’re going to come back to their families,” he said.
Goerke described the calling that draws people to this profession as something deeply personal yet rooted in a love for community — a willingness to help others that is difficult to describe.
“There's always good in our world. There's always good in our communities, and you find it right here,” he said. “You find it in people that will clearly give up their lives for others; that will take money out of their pockets to help others; that will bring food to people; that will help children that are in danger; that will dive into a body of water to try to save somebody. It’s profound.”
