FBI Director Kash Patel's National Police Week Message

FBI Director Kash Patel thanked law enforcement officers in his National Police Week message for their work protecting our communities and pursuing justice and he honored the legacies of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.


Video Transcript

Hi. I'm Kash Patel. And it's my honor to serve as the ninth director of the FBI.

Each May, the Bureau joins our nation in commemorating Police Week. It's an important time to honor the extraordinary courage and commitment of our brothers and sisters in law enforcement and to recognize those who have laid down their lives protecting the communities they served.

In my time as director, I've made a call to every chief or sheriff whose department has lost an officer to an adversarial action in the line of duty.

And although I've only been in this position for less than three months, I've already made far too many of those calls. Every line of duty death is a tragedy for the families who lose a loved one; for the officers who lose a colleague and a friend; and for the communities that lose a faithful protector and guardian of justice.

Those losses remind us of the tremendous sacrifice law enforcement officers across the country make to keep the American people safe. They go to work every morning knowing there's a chance they won't make it home that night that they might be targeted just because they wear the badge, like the 64 officers who were feloniously killed in the line of duty last year and the more than 85,000 others who suffered assaults.

But the men and women of law enforcement continue showing up for all of us despite the hardships, the demands and the dangers.

They do it because they've made a choice to serve and protect their fellow American citizens, and they have no intention of letting us down.

I'm honored and humbled to work alongside those who have dedicated their lives to public service, to having the backs of the American people, and all of us owe them a debt we can never repay.

That's why National Police Week is so important. It's an opportunity to express our deepest gratitude for those who have taken an oath to protect our communities and pursue justice. And to honor the legacies of those who gave their lives so that others could be safe.

The FBI and I are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners throughout law enforcement together as we protect our nation.

Thank you.

Video Download

Video Source