National Police Week, May 15-21 in 2016, is a time to remember and honor those in law enforcement who made the ultimate sacrifice throughout the nation.

On Monday, May 2, at the State Capitol in Sacramento, in a solemn ceremony, four more names of California peace officers who died in the line of duty in 2015 were added to the Peace Officers’ Memorial.

On Wednesday, May 4, at Lakewood Memorial Park in Hughson, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department and other area law enforcement agencies will recognize those brave peace officers who gave their lives in Stanislaus County. Also included in the remembrance will be Sheriff’s Crime Scene Technician Mary Ann Donahou who, while not a peace officer, was killed in the line of duty when she was struck by a car after arriving at a crime scene on Santa Fe Avenue in Hughson to investigate a shooting. She was 46.

The public is welcome to attend the memorial ceremony at 10 a.m. at Lakewood Memorial Park at 900 Santa Fe Ave., in Hughson,

“Let us constantly remind ourselves that what cops do, matters,” Stanislaus County Sheriff Christianson said in a press release. “What they see is unimaginable to the timid, what they do is unimaginable to the weak and what they have to endure day in and day out is unimaginable to those who take their hard work and selfless service for granted.”

Similarly, in San Joaquin County, a 9 a.m. ceremony on Wednesday, May 4 is planned at the Stockton Police Department at 22 E. Market St.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation which designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week. National Police Week pays special recognition and tribute to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others. In 2015, 123 peace officers across the nation paid the ultimate price.

Each May, an estimated 20,000 people assemble at the memorial grounds in Judiciary Square for the Candlelight Vigil, a signature event of National Police Week. For the eighth year, the ceremony will be streamed live over the Internet so that people across the country can witness this annual tribute to America’s law enforcement officers. Individuals interested in the free webcast can register online at www.LawMemorial.org/webcast.