Honoring Fallen Peace Officers
NOTE: Peace Officer Memorial Day has been established by Sec. 3100.065 https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.3100.htm#3100.065 of the Texas Government Code. Both the Texas and United States flags should be flown at half‑staff on Friday, May 15, 2026. A copy of Governor Abbott’s proclamation is attached.
State of Texas Office of the Governor PROCLAMATION
In communities of every size and every geographic region, peace officers perform an important duty to protect and serve their neighbors. In Texas, we recognize the weight of that calling and the price that some are asked to pay. As members of a grateful state, we pause to honor our fallen peace officers—brave souls who gave the last full measure of devotion so that others might live in safety and peace.
Peace officers confront difficult, dangerous situations regularly. Throughout the Lone Star State, peace officers prove themselves worthy of the extraordinary trust placed on them, embodying the courage and selfless sacrifice that defines our people. Some have done so for decades, never seeking attention or praise. Others served briefly, taken from this earth too soon.
No words can assuage the immense pain felt by family, friends, and entire communities, but we can and must honor our fallen heroes by remembering what they stood for. We can teach our children their names; we can support the families they cherished; and we can recommit to the principles they gave their lives to defend: justice, peace, and the rule of law.
Peace officers do not choose their profession for recognition or reward—they choose it out of love for their neighbors, their state, and the values that unite us as Texans. In honoring them, we rededicate ourselves to that same spirit of service.
Each year, a solemn day is set aside in order to remember fallen peace officers and to publicly affirm our commitment to all who have worn the badge. As we remember these heroic men and women, I commend them for their sacrifice and pray for their loved ones.
Therefore, I, Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, do hereby proclaim May 15, 2026, and the period from May 10 to May 16, 2026, respectively, to be Peace Officers Memorial Day & Week in Texas and urge all Texans to observe the occasion with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature this the 26th day of April, 2026.
Greg Abbott Governor of Texas