If you display the American flag at your home or business, plan to lower it to half-staff this Friday. President Donald Trump issued a proclamation on Monday ordering all federal flags lowered to honor Peace Officers Memorial Day, which falls within National Police Week.
The order applies nationwide, from sunrise to sunset on Friday. State flags and other banners flying alongside the U.S. flag should also be lowered. The annual memorial service will be held outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., focusing on law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in recent years, though all fallen officers are remembered.
Peace Officers Memorial Day, observed annually on May 15, is part of Police Week, a time set aside to recognize the courage and sacrifice of law enforcement personnel. The event has been marked by presidential proclamations for decades, but Trump's order this year comes amid broader debates over public safety and federal law enforcement funding.
Separately, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen ordered flags in his state lowered on Friday to honor an Omaha native killed in World War II. His remains were identified last year, and his interment is scheduled for that day. Such dual observances are common when national and state proclamations coincide.
For those lowering their own flag, federal code specifies a precise procedure: First, hoist the flag to the peak for an instant, then lower it to the half-staff position. At the end of the day, before lowering it completely, raise it again to the peak. This ritual symbolizes respect and ensures the flag is never lowered directly from full staff.
Flag etiquette has become a subtle but recurring political symbol in recent years, with governors and presidents using half-staff orders to signal priorities. The same code governs all official flag displays, from the White House to small-town fire stations.
Barring additional orders from Trump or state governors, flags will next fly at half-staff on Memorial Day, though only briefly. That observance honors military personnel who died in service, a different category from the law enforcement focus of Friday's event.
The Trump administration has faced scrutiny over staffing levels at federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security. The CISA lost 1,100 staff during a 76-day DHS shutdown, as Senator Mullin revealed. Meanwhile, FEMA reinstated staff who criticized the Trump administration in a 'Katrina Declaration.' These developments highlight ongoing tensions around federal workforce management.
For those unsure about the exact timing, the half-staff period runs from sunrise to sunset on Friday. Local weather or emergencies may affect visibility, but the protocol remains unchanged.
