Digital memorial will keep the memory of fallen officers alive

11 May 2023

Derbyshire Police Federation has welcomed a new project that will record the service and sacrifice of fallen officers for years to come.

The UK Police Memorial has gathered the views of 200,000 people to help shape the world’s first digital memorial to the 4,500 police officers and staff who have given their lives to policing across the UK.

Branch chair Tony Wetton said: “I am thrilled that this project is going ahead, and I am looking forward to seeing the results. Whenever we lose a colleague in the line of duty it is a tragic occasion for the officer’s loved ones and for the whole police family.

“We will do everything possible to ensure that their memory is kept alive, and that’s why this idea of a digital resource where the lives of each officer can be recorded, along with video, audio or written tributes is so important.

“I hope it will bring comfort to families and do justice to the memory of those officers.”

A new digital memorial for fallen police officers has been created

The project, which was officially launched at the Tower of London in March, will draw on data from the Police Roll of Honour Trust.  The College of Policing, Staffordshire University, Accenture and the National Memorial Arboretum are also partners in the project.

The most popular features identified by the public consultation included the life stories of the fallen, with photographs, oral histories, video tributes and media coverage and the ability for family members, friends, and colleagues to pay tribute to their loved ones.

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who attended the launch, said: “The memorial plays an important part to ensure that their memories live on.”

Find out more about the project.