Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody paid a visit to the Kissimmee Police Department Wednesday morning to recognize the courageous and dangerous work of Kissimmee’s frontline law enforcement officers. The visit was part of the Attorney General Moody’a Thin Line Tribute, which honors law enforcement officers for their selfless and dedicated service to the citizens of Florida.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Serving as a police officer is dangerous, stressful and so often, thankless. It is such an honor to be standing here with the Chief, with the councilwomen, and with our mayor to recognize the everyday sacrifices and service by the men and women in law enforcement. The Thin Line Tribute is a new initiative through my office designed to recognize the hard work and dedication of our brave frontline law enforcement officers. As the wife of a law enforcement officer, I know personally the amount of care and commitment that goes into this profession. As the dangers surrounding this job seem to increase by the day, I believe it is imperative that we show our law enforcement community just how thankful we are for their service.”
Also present at today’s event was City of Kissimmee Mayor Olga Gonzalez, Kissimmee Police Captain Wilson Munoz, members of the Kissimmee Police Department, and numerous Kissimmee business leaders.
The launch of Thin Line Tribute comes on the heels of a devastating year for the law enforcement community as the COVID-19 pandemic and 2020 presented many challenges for brave men and women of law enforcement. In December of last year, Attorney General Moody issued a shocking report that officers killed in the line of duty nationwide more than doubled in 2020, compared to the previous year—totaling more than 360 officers lost at year’s end.
Unfortunately, the beginning of the new year did not bring newfound peace and safety to those who wear the badge. While line-of-duty deaths are still on the rise, COVID-19 is no longer the main culprit. An increasing number of officer deaths in Florida are at the hands of violent attacks. Additionally, Florida is currently the deadliest state in the nation for felonious attacks against law enforcement officers this year.
