Policemen cycle across Indiana to honor fallen officers

Several of Indiana’s finest are touring the state on bicycles this month, riding to remember fallen comrades and raise money for their surviving families.  

The event, called Cops Cycling for Indiana C.O.P.S., was organized by the Indiana chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors Inc. and takes place from July 20 to Aug. 1. Forty-four police officers and supporters will ride to honor men and women who died while in the line of duty.    

The ride has three objectives, Indiana State Police trooper Rich Crawford said: to raise funds for Indiana Concerns of Police Survivors and awareness of its mission, to meet survivors and family members of fallen police officers, and to visit grave sites and scenes of accidents in honor of officers who lost their lives.

Trooper Crawford, the chairman of Indiana C.O.P.S. Cycling, organized the event and is riding for the full 13 days. He said that in order to provide programs for survivors, the riders hope to raise more than last year’s contributions of nearly $40,000.

“That money goes towards kids programs,” he said. “It goes towards those family members that need psychological counseling, emotional counseling or help in dealing with grief.”

Officers who ride in the event are required to raise from family, friends or general sponsors at least $6 for every day that they ride. Businesses also provide corporate sponsorships to the riders. Crawford expressed confidence that they will exceed their $40,000 total raised last year. As of Friday, they had raised around $6,000.

Carolyn Dudley, surviving spouse of Indiana State Police Lt. Gary Dudley and co-president of Indiana Concerns of Police Survivors, described assistance provided to survivors.  

“One of the main things we do is that we’re there to support the families immediately after the death of their officer, to help them through the funeral process, to provide support, to be there for whatever they need,” she said.  

Indiana Concerns of Police Survivors also provides assistance for children and spouses to attend summer camps and seminars put on by the national organization, Dudley said.  

The cyclists started their ride in Indianapolis and rode from there to Bloomington. The route then took them farther south to Jeffersonville, and from there they will loosely continue to follow the perimeter of the state in a counter-clockwise direction. They will finish the ride Aug. 1 in Indianapolis at the Crown Hill Cemetery.  

In addition to fundraising, riders also plan to spend time remembering and honoring fallen officers.  

Sgt. Curt Durnil of the Indiana State Police said riders have been visiting sites where officers were killed and saying a few words in their honor. The riders also plan to visit grave sites of several officers.

“Some of the riders have even put officers’ names or pictures on their backs to show who they are riding for,” he said.  

According to the national Concerns of Police Survivors Web site, 140 to 160 police officers are killed nationwide in the line of duty each year. The Indiana Law Enforcement and Firefighters Memorial in Indianapolis honors the officers who have been killed in Indiana.  

“Unfortunately and tragically, officers getting killed in the line of duty doesn’t seem to stop, which means that there are family members, there are kids, there is need for help,” Durnil said.

Dudley expressed the need for survivors to have an organization like Indiana Concerns of Police Survivors.

“It’s a way for people who have gone through similar situations to be together and to help them through the healing process,” she said. “Our primary goal is to support the survivors each day.”