SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - The Springfield Police Department held its annual memorial ceremony on Wednesday afternoon outside the police headquarters on Pearl Street. The event was dedicated to the memory of the 17 Springfield police officers who lost their lives while in the line of duty.

This year, the department unveiled new memorial plaques to honor those 17 fallen officers, funded by local donations. Following the dedication we spoke with Springfield Police Superintendent Lawrence Akers. He told Western Mass News what this annual ceremony meant to the department, “long after I’m gone and some of the older officers gone, we always have to remember the ones who fell before us because they meant so much to this department. This is the type of job where you just never know, we’re out there for the community were out there for the people were saving lives but also we still run into situations where our lives are in danger.”

During thew ceremony, speakers paid tribute and held a moment of silence for fallen Massachusetts State Trooper Kevin Trainor — who died while responding to a call about a wrong way driver last week on Route 1 in Lynnfield.

60 Springfield officers attended his funeral this morning in Salem.

Later tonight on Western Mass News at 10 and 11, we’ll have more from the ceremony and how Trooper Trainor was honored across the state.

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