The State Capitol dome will be illuminated in blue for the month of May in honor of Missouri law enforcement officers who gave their lives in the line of duty.
May is a month of tributes and recognitions of fallen officers and their survivors in Missouri and across the nation, including National Police Week and Peace Officers Memorial Day. Each May, Missouri honors the state’s fallen heroes at a candlelight vigil and the Law Enforcement Memorial Service.
The Capitol dome will turn blue beginning the night of Tuesday, May 1 and will continue all month.
“There are families across Missouri who have lost fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters in the line of duty—defending us as law enforcement officers. It is up to all of us to ensure that their sacrifice is remembered, and that their spirit of service lives on. Missouri backs the blue,” Gov. Eric Greitens said. “The courage, strength, and sacrifice of these officers–and that of their families–will be honored.”
This year’s Missouri Law Enforcement Candlelight Vigil will be held at 8 p.m. Friday, May 4 at the Law Enforcement Memorial Wall. The annual memorial service honoring fallen law enforcement officers will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 5 at the Carnahan Memorial Garden, located at 101 Jefferson Street, East. The location has changed this year due to construction on the Capitol grounds. For more information on the memorial ceremonies, go to https://dps.mo.gov/lememorial.php.
Turning the Capitol dome blue for May was made possible by a lighting upgrade project led by the Missouri Office of Administration last year that brought energy-efficient lighting to the Capitol.