Across the United States, flags are flying at half-staff today, May 15, 2026, as communities pause to honor the sacrifice and service of law enforcement officers for National Peace Officers Memorial Day. The observance, established by President John F. Kennedy in 1962 and reaffirmed each year by presidential proclamation, is a solemn tradition that brings together citizens, officials, and police departments nationwide in remembrance of officers who have died or been injured in the line of duty.
President Donald Trump issued a proclamation earlier this week, calling for flags to be lowered from sunrise to sunset on May 15. According to USA TODAY, the proclamation reads in part: “On this Peace Officers Memorial Day, observed during our nation’s time-honored Police Week, we pay tribute to the men and women of law enforcement who have devoted their lives to safeguarding our families and communities. Our grateful country joins them in honoring the memory of the fallen officers who gave their lives protecting their fellow citizens, and we stand resolutely beside the families they left behind.”
The week surrounding May 15 is designated as National Police Week, a period marked by ceremonies, memorials, and tributes across the country. In Washington, D.C., officers and families gather for the National Police Officers Memorial Service at the U.S. Capitol, a poignant event that underscores the nationwide impact of the sacrifices made by law enforcement officers.
The tradition of lowering the flag to half-staff is deeply rooted in American customs of mourning and respect. As The Arizona Republic explains, the term “half-staff” is used for flags flown on land, while “half-mast” refers to those on ships or at naval stations. The distinction, though often blurred in casual conversation, is maintained in official proclamations and flag codes. Government buildings, schools, and private citizens alike are encouraged to participate in this gesture of collective remembrance.
In Arizona, Governor Katie Hobbs followed the presidential directive, ensuring that flags at all state, institutional, and educational buildings were lowered. The state’s guidelines clarify that the governor may also order the state flag to be flown at half-staff in the event of the death of notable government officials or members of the armed forces who die while on active duty. On days like today, the act becomes part of a broader, national expression of gratitude and grief.
Mississippi joined in this observance, with the Department of Public Safety holding its annual fallen officer memorial ceremony on May 12. According to USA TODAY, since 1940, 38 Mississippi Highway Patrol officers have died in the line of duty. Local departments across the state held their own ceremonies, providing opportunities for friends, family, and colleagues to honor those who gave their lives in service to their communities. “The services help keep the memories of these men and women alive,” reported USA TODAY.
In Colorado, Governor Jared Polis ordered flags to half-staff from sunrise until sunset today, aligning with President Trump’s May 11 proclamation. Colorado has a history of lowering flags on significant occasions, including earlier this year in honor of former U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Staff Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, and former state Senator Lewis Entz. State law also requires flags to be lowered on Memorial Day (until noon), September 11, and Pearl Harbor Day. As USA TODAY notes, “Half-staff is the precise term used in presidential proclamations and in the flag code.”
California, too, paid tribute with a series of solemn ceremonies. Governor Gavin Newsom presided over the annual California Peace Officers’ Memorial Ceremony on May 4, which featured a ‘Walk of Honor’ for surviving family members and the formal addition of newly enrolled officers’ names to the Memorial Monument. Among those honored this year were Deputy Timothy B. Corlew, Deputy Hector Cuevas, Jr., Officer Osmar Rodarte, and several others whose end of watch dates ranged from March 2025 to November 2025. Newsom remarked in a news release, “The officers we honor today represent the very best of California. They ran toward danger on behalf of people they didn’t know. We recognize their sacrifice and the loved ones who carry that loss with them every single day. Their legacy is lasting — in the lives they saved, the communities they protected and the example they set for all of us.”
In Iowa, Governor Kim Reynolds echoed this sentiment, ordering flags to be lowered at the Capitol and on public buildings statewide. The governor’s statement, as reported by the Des Moines Register, reads: “Duty is a virtue embodied by the fallen peace officers our nation honors on this day. There truly are no greater public servants than those who wear the uniform and give their lives for it.” Iowa’s memorials are particularly poignant this year, as the state remembers former Des Moines police officer Phoukham Tran, who died in November 2023 from injuries sustained in 2011 while directing traffic at the Iowa State Fair. According to the Officer Down Memorial Page and the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial, between 198 and 223 law enforcement officers have died in the line of duty in Iowa since the mid-18th century.
Across all these states and beyond, the observance of Peace Officers Memorial Day is marked by both public ceremony and private reflection. The lowering of the flag is a visible, unifying symbol, but the real force of the day lies in the stories of those who served and the families and colleagues who remember them. From the addition of new names on memorials to the quiet moments of silence shared at police departments, the nation’s gratitude is palpable.
The distinction between “half-staff” and “half-mast” may seem minor, but it underscores the care taken in these observances. As noted by Federal Flags and reiterated in state guidelines, “half-staff” is the term reserved for flags on land, describing a flag that is raised halfway between the top and bottom of the flagpole. It is a gesture that signals both mourning and respect, a way for the living to honor the ultimate sacrifice of those lost.
While the presidential proclamation sets the tone for the nation, governors and local officials ensure that the message resonates in communities large and small. From California’s Capitol steps to Mississippi’s memorial ceremonies, from the plains of Iowa to the mountains of Colorado, the lowering of the flag is a shared act of remembrance that transcends geography and politics.
As the sun sets on May 15, 2026, flags will return to full staff. But for the families of the fallen, and for the officers who continue to serve, the memory endures. Each year, Peace Officers Memorial Day offers a moment to reflect, to mourn, and to honor those who have given everything to protect their fellow citizens. Their legacy, as many officials have said, is lasting — and the nation’s gratitude is unwavering.