DSCC marks National Police Week with interagency ceremony

Local, state and federal law enforcement officers joined Defense Logistics Agency police at the Defense Supply Center Columbus on May 11 to open National Police Week with a remembrance ceremony honoring fallen officers and those who protect the installation and surrounding communities.

Held at the Security and Emergency Services Memorial—engraved with the names of fallen first responders—the observance blended tribute with recognition of the daily demands placed on DSCC’s security teams.

Michelle Schneider, spouse of a Franklin County Sheriff’s deputy, opened with the national anthem. James McGarvey, a Madison Township Police chaplain and Defense Logistics Agency Weapons Support (Columbus) management and program analyst, delivered the invocation. DLA Police Sgt. Jeffrey Conrad read the 1962 Presidential Police Week Proclamation, signed by President John F. Kennedy, which established the annual commemoration.

Navy Rear Adm. Julie Treanor, commander of DLA Weapons Support (Columbus), delivered the keynote, acknowledging the installation’s high operational tempo and the constant vigilance required of its police force. “Here at DSCC, the DLA Division of Police stands as the guardian of this installation,” she said. “In today’s complex and evolving threat environment, your role has never been more critical.” She added: “Because of your professionalism at the perimeter and on patrol, the thousands of us inside DSCC’s gates can focus on our mission, confident in our safety.”

Treanor pointed to routine identity checks, antiterrorism measures, round-the-clock patrols and commercial vehicle inspections as a first line of defense. She also underscored the motivation behind the mission, quoting a familiar maxim and expanding on its meaning for the force: “‘The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.’ For our police force, that means you serve because you love this community, you love this nation, and you are dedicated to protecting the people and the mission inside our gates.”

The event highlighted interagency cooperation across the region, with participation from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Whitehall Police Department.

In a wreath-laying that marked the ceremony’s most solemn moment, Deputy Police Chief Jeremy Coulson and Jared Kocsis, director of Security and Emergency Services for DLA Installation Management – Columbus, honored officers who died in the line of duty.

Officer Joseph Vandergriff, serving as master of ceremonies, offered words of resolve to his colleagues. “Take strength in knowing that when an officer falls, our resolve to serve those in need is not diminished,” he said. “Our dedication to protecting those in danger is not weakened, and our commitment to remembering those with whom we shared the badge does not fade.”

To close the ceremony, DLA Police Sgts. Jeff Conrad and Brevin Henninger, along with Lt. Aaron Wellman, raised the flag over the memorial. “This flag represents the fine men and women of our DLA Police Force. It was created to honor the oath of office we have sworn allegiance to,” Vandergriff said as the flag ascended. “It flies here every day on this solemn memorial as an acknowledgment of the sacrifices that have been made and an appreciation of the ongoing pledge of every officer to protect our community from harm.”

Observed nationwide each May, National Police Week includes Peace Officers Memorial Day on May 15 and a series of events that remember those lost while recognizing the continued service of officers across the country.