Police Association President Chris Cahill is encouraging New Zealanders to take a pause tomorrow and remember Police officers and employees who have been killed or died while doing their job.

“Police Remembrance Day is a chance to reflect and honour those who have made the ultimate sacrifice of giving their lives to protect their fellow New Zealanders,” Mr Cahill said.

“It is a reminder of the dangers all police officers face on a daily basis, but a danger they are willing to confront for the safety of our communities.”

“It is a sobering occasion for the families and friends of the dead, and current officers and Police employees who attend, and it is extremely important that they all feel supported,” Mr Cahill said.

The ceremony includes the reading out of the names of the 32 officers slain on duty and the 48 Police employees who have died as a result of their duties since 1886, followed by the names of serving employees and former staff who have died in the past year.

The day falls on the 29th of September, the feast day of the Archangel Michael, patron saint of police, and will be observed with a service at the Royal New Zealand Police College and in services around the country.

Police staff, family members and others will wear the distinctive huia feather-shaped Police Remembrance Pin designed by the Police Association as a way for members of Police across New Zealand to feel part of the day.

The pin was introduced in partnership with NZ Police and has been embraced as the symbol of police remembrance in New Zealand.

“The growing number of police and others who wear the pin on Remembrance Day and in the days leading up to it, is a sign of respect for those who have lost their lives,” Mr Cahill said.

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Read more information about Police Remembrance Day.