When 72 police officers and 343 firefighters lost their lives last year in the terrorist attacks of September 11th, many communities around the nation felt a tragic kinship with the people of New York. In towns across America, in fires, shootouts, and high speed crashes, firefighters and police officers have lost their lives in the line of duty. And in each of these cities, large and small, family, friends, and colleagues have come together to erect memorials to these fallen heroes -- to tell the families and colleagues of these brave officers that their memory lives on, that a grateful community honors their sacrifice.

Like Glendale, the cities of San Fernando, Tustin, Poway, San Diego, and Vallejo are each working to honor those killed in the line of duty through a law enforcement memorial. These communities are working to honor fallen officers and firefighters -- many from small police departments that cannot afford to memorialize those who died. They join efforts underway in Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

In July 2001, I introduced the Law Enforcement Tribute Act to help communities working to honor men and women killed or disabled while serving as law enforcement or public safety officers by providing federal matching funds to assist in the construction of these memorials. To ensure this funding would allow for the development of many tributes around the country, no award may be greater than $150,000, and the bill further requires a 50% match by the State or locality requesting the funding. The bill authorizes $3 million a year for five years to be administered through the Department of Justice, and would provide enough funding to help a minimum of 20 communities each year.

Glendale knows this kind of tragedy all too well. Four Glendale police officers and one sheriff's deputy have been killed in the line of duty in recent years, while many others have suffered injuries and illnesses that have contributed to early deaths. One of those fallen heroes is Charles Lazzaretto, a Glendale police investigator ambushed by a gunman while investigating a domestic violence report on May 27, 1997.

Lazzaretto's friends and colleagues in the Glendale Police Department have launched an effort to raise funds to build a memorial honoring Lazzaretto and the other officers killed in the line of duty. The sculpture and fountain would be located in the plaza outside the main entrance of the new police headquarters under construction near City Hall. As of this month, the effort has raised $180,000, a true achievement given our tight economy, but still short of the estimated $500,000 total needed. Additional fund-raising events are planned, with a target for unveiling the memorial in May 2003, in conjunction with National Police Memorial Month.

Glendale is not alone in its struggle to finance a fitting tribute to its officers. There are hundreds of others. Dan Starnes of Martinsville, Indiana, was killed in the line of duty in July 2001, just months after he and his wife Janice celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. Janice wrote a check for $100 to start a memorial for her husband and two other officers also killed in the line of duty. When she heard of my legislation to support efforts like her's around the country, she wrote to me: "Dan paid the ultimate sacrifice. He has always been my hero, and now others can be honored by this memorial. I want to live long enough to see this memorial completed." So, too, do we in Congress.

My tribute legislation has been included in the 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act, which President Bush is expected to sign into law this week. This legislation includes many other important provisions, including those that would reauthorize funding for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, renew drug abuse programs, improve school safety and the juvenile justice system, prevent violence against women, and add judges to the federal bench.

Every day, law enforcement officers and firefighters across our nation report for work, knowing full well that they face the threat of assault, injury or death. It is their dedication protecting our lives that drives them to serve the public despite the risks to their own safety. It is indeed fitting and just that through the Law Enforcement Tribute Act, our national government will become a partner in building memorials honoring the contributions of law enforcement and public safety personnel who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in serving the public.