Public safety officials, city leaders and others will gather in downtown Riverside Saturday for the annual “Riverside County Peace Officers’ Memorial Ceremony,” featuring a remembrance service and a two-mile run to symbolize unity with the law enforcement community.
District Attorney Mike Hestrin, Sheriff Chad Bianco and multiple officials from the county, as well as municipalities, are slated to be on hand for the event, which will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday adjacent to the Safe In His Arms Memorial fronting the Riverside Police Department at 4012 Orange St.
Several hundred law enforcement officers, their relatives and supporters — of all ages — are expected to participate in a light run that will circle the downtown space, requiring temporary street closures, according to the police department.
Following the run, participants will re-assemble at the memorial statue, where a “multi-agency helicopter flyover” is planned and several people will speak on the occasion, according to a police statement posted to social media.
Since the end of the 19th century, 63 peace officers have been killed in the line duty countywide, according to the Riverside County Peace Officers’ Memorial Foundation.