Service for police officers is not about the salary, said Brundidge Police Chief Moses Davenport.

Life as a deputy is not just about wearing a badge, said Pike County Sheriff Russell Thomas.

And, a law enforcement officer’s contributions to the community are not soon forgotten, said Troy Police Chief Anthony Everage.

That’s why the city of Troy, all local law enforcement and members of the community are invited to spend today remembering the service of officers who have given the ultimate price to keep the community safe — their lives.

Police Memorial Day, part of National Police Week, will honor several locals who have paid the ultimate price in service.

“We want to honor them not only for service and dedication they gave the Troy Police Department, but we want to always remember them and honor their families,” Everage said. “Some of them we never knew or never met, but we’ll never forget them and what they did and their sacrifice they made.”

But Police Memorial Day is not just about remembering those officers who have died.

“When you put on that uniform everyday, it could be to kill or be killed,” Davenport said. “That’s your sworn duty to protect and serve. To think about it could scare a person, but a police officer does it everyday.”

And it’s something Thomas said doesn’t get any easier to do.

“Something simple can turn into something tragic real quickly,” Thomas said. “It becomes even more dangerous through the years, but with all that being said, the job’s still a lot of fun.”

Everage echoed Thomas.

“There’s a daily concern one of our officers could be injured or killed,” Everage said. “It’s something we hope never happens, but the chances of it never happening again are not very good.”

Members of the community are invited to join in the celebration in front of the Troy Police Department at 10 a.m. today. If it’s raining, the service will be moved to the Troy Municipal Courthouse on Walnut Street.