3rd Officer Down Memorial Ride

Saturday, April 20, 2024. After months of preparation, the day has finally arrived: the third Officer Down Memorial Ride, held in Belgium for the first time. The meeting point was the parking lot of PAULO in Ghent, the provincial academy for emergency services and local authorities, which also houses the training center for police and fire services. Online pre-registration was available, with each registered participant receiving a commemorative item for 5 euros. This let us know in advance that we could expect around 200 riders in total. About half of the participants had also ordered a T-shirt designed specifically for this ODMR, which was handed out to them at registration.

After the safety briefing, the ride set off shortly after midday with a police escort. Led by two Brussels police Harley-Davidsons and closed out by two paramedic motorcycles, the procession reached the police station in Aalst after around 50 kilometers. There stands a memorial honoring two colleagues who were shot during a night shift in 1992. Following addresses by the mayor and the chief of police of Aalst, words of thanks from the president of BK Belgium 6, and a poem recited by Padre Dirk, a minute of silence was observed. A wreath was then laid at the memorial — a deeply emotional moment, especially since Belgium had already lost three colleagues to violent incidents in the preceding two months.

The proceeds from this ride, generated through a small margin on the commemorative item and the T-shirts, were donated to "The Belgian Blue Line," an association that supports the families of police officers who died or were severely injured in the line of duty.

Juva
President BKB6