Serving as a law enforcement officer is an honorable and noble endeavor. I have been blessed to serve for nearly 32 years in this profession. A lot has changed, but what has remained the same, drives me to keep serving.

Every day, I come to work not quite knowing what the day will hold. Every day, I learn something new. Every day, I have the opportunity to help my community. This career is a great adventure. I cannot imagine doing anything else.

May 12-18 is National Police Week. May 15 is National Police Officer Memorial Day. This is an excellent time to reflect upon those law enforcement professionals who have given their lives in protection of communities across the United States. We thank our local law enforcement professionals for all they do to serve and protect our communities.

It takes a special person to be successful in law enforcement. The City of Marshalltown is fortunate to have dedicated and compassionate public safety professionals serving in our community. The men and women of the Marshalltown Police Department strive every day to provide exceptional police services.

I feel fortunate to work with such a wonderful group of people. I want to take this time to thank all of the police officers, deputies, detectives, reserve police officers, 911 communications personnel and law enforcement support staff for their collective service to our community. They all do an outstanding job and I greatly appreciate their efforts.

It is important for everyone to remember that being a police officer can be, and very often is, a dangerous profession. Since the first known line-of-duty death in 1786, more than 24,000 U.S. law enforcement officers have made the ultimate sacrifice. From 2014-2023, on average there were 252 law enforcement line of duty deaths in the United States each year and more than 56,000 law enforcement officers were assaulted. In 2023, 136 police officers died in the line of duty. So far, in 2024 (Jan 1-May 1) there have been 54 law enforcement deaths in the United States. Please visit the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund website (https://nleomf.org/) for more information about line of duty deaths.

These occurrences, and the possibility of danger, weigh heavily on the hearts and minds of each police officer’s family. Spouses, parents, children, and other family members are the unsung heroes of our law enforcement professionals. Officers would not be able to effectively perform their duties without their support. I would be remiss if I failed to recognize the family members of Marshalltown Police personnel for their support and tolerance every day of the year. We appreciate what you sacrifice to allow us to serve.

The Marshalltown Police Department values the tremendous public support we have. The men and women of the Marshalltown Police Department are dedicated to providing our community with high quality and professional law enforcement services. We appreciate the opportunity to work with community members every day. We remain committed to collaborating with the community to make Marshalltown a great place to live, recreate, learn and work. This police department belongs to the community, all of you. Working together, we can all enjoy the benefits of a safe, healthy, and united community.

I am proud to serve alongside the dedicated professionals working in the police department. They all have my deep gratitude and respect. If you get a chance next week, take time to thank your law enforcement professionals for serving the Marshalltown community.

Stay Safe Marshalltown!

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Michael W. Tupper is the chief of the Marshalltown Police Department.