ODMP Mission Statement
The Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc., (ODMP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring America's fallen law enforcement officers. More than 26,000 officers have died in the line of duty in the United States since 1776 and ODMP is honored to preserve their memories and give friends, family, other officers, and citizens alike the opportunity to remember the fallen and honor their sacrifices.
History of the ODMP
In 1996 Chris Cosgriff, then a James Madison University freshman, read a Washington Post article about the release of a murderer convicted of slaying two Prince George's County, Maryland police officers. Upon learning that this violent criminal had served only 16 years for his heinous act, Chris was compelled to find a way to honor these and other fallen officers. Thus, The Officer Down Memorial Page was created.
In the early stages of development, ODMP honored only law enforcement officers who had been killed or wounded in 1996 but quickly expanded to include officers killed in the line of duty dating back to 1990. Then, with the help of the National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial Fund, Inc., the site gained access to information about thousands of heroes who had given their lives in the line of duty since the 1790s.
In 2000, The Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc., was granted status as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. This status allowed ODMP to greatly expand its role in honoring America's police officers killed in the line of duty.
In 2006, ODMP began hosting the annual National Police Week 5K in Washington D.C. during Police Week. Since then, the race has grown to include over 2500 runners and walkers each year, including a virtual team with participants around the globe. A portion of the money raised at this event each year goes to Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.), a non-profit organization that provides assistance to survivors who have lost a loved one to a line of duty death.
In 2010 the ODMP was awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, to provide nationwide line of duty death notifications and resources on benefits available to survivors of fallen law enforcement officers.
In 2011, ODMP launched another annual fundraising event, The Officer Down Memorial Ride (ODMR), a 60-mile motorcycle ride based in Haymarket, VA each spring. The ODMR had over 700 participants in 2018 and raised nearly $40,000 to support ODMP’s mission of honoring fallen law enforcement officers.
The Officer Down Memorial Page has further expanded to include ODMP K9, the Front Line Club, Agency and Family Support Resources, and the No Parole for Cop Killers program. ODMP also released a mobile app that enables followers to receive immediate Line of Duty Death (LODD) notifications, see real-time statistics and trends, and search LODDs based on location.
ODMP partners with various law enforcement-related organizations to further its mission:
- With St. Michael's Shield Project to get used, good-quality bulletproof vests to officers who are not issued this equipment by their agency.
- With Below100 to promote and provide training to law enforcement aimed at decreasing preventable line of duty deaths.
- With the Stanton Foundation to provide grants to replace fallen K9 officers and outfit them with bulletproof vests.
Today ODMP is the largest law enforcement memorial in the country, and our presence online enables supporters to learn about and honor fallen heroes regardless of their geographic location. We will continue to expand our offerings in constant service to our primary mission: honoring those officers who have died in the line of duty in the U.S.
Board of Directors
The Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc., Board of Directors includes ODMP Chairman & Executive Director Emeritus Chris Cosgriff, Executive Director Saundra Honeysett, and four volunteer board members who feel it is their civic duty to honor fallen law enforcement officers:
Captain Chris Cosgriff
Chris founded the Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc. (ODMP) in 1996 when he was a freshman in college. He serves as Board Chair and Executive Director Emeritus. As the face of ODMP for 28 years, Chris has given countless media interviews about ODMP throughout the country and was profiled in the Washington Post. In 2005, Chris received the Exemplary Service Award from the Grand Lodge Fraternal Order of Police for his work in remembering America's fallen law enforcement officers, and in 2024 he was recognized with the Suzie Sawyer Lifetime Achievement Award from Concerns of Police Survivors. Fulfilling his lifelong dream, Chris became a police officer in 2013. Chris holds a B.S. in Integrated Science and Technology from James Madison University.
Saundra Honeysett
Saundra was appointed Executive Director in October 2024. She has served with ODMP for 15 years and has been deeply engaged in incident research, donor recognition, event and store management, and ultimately managed the day-to-day efforts of ODMP staff and volunteers. Formerly an event planner with the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., Saundra holds a Master of Public Administration from American University and a Bachelor of Arts from Alma College. In addition to her work with the ODMP, Saundra serves on the board of directors for her community swim and neighborhood civic associations. She is the founding member of Little Run Elementary School's chapter of the Food4Thought program providing weekend "bridge" meals to food-insecure students, and she is the owner/operator of a small business.
Mike Schutz
Mike serves as Treasurer on the board of directors. An ODMP volunteer since 1997, Mike also works as technical director for the organization. He graduated from James Madison University in 1999 with a B.S. in Computer Science.
Lieutenant (Retired) Steven Weiss
Lieutenant Weiss was appointed to the board of directors in 2004. He served with the New York City Police Department for 21-years, retiring on July 31, 2020. Lieutenant Weiss served in many assignments during his career, most notably as the Commanding Officer of two Precinct Detective Squads, and as the commander of the NYPD CompStat Unit for the Office of the Chief of Crime Control Strategies. Lieutenant Weiss began volunteering for ODMP in 2001. In 2003, as a result of his dedication to honoring our country's fallen officers -- specifically those whose sacrifices had been forgotten over the years -- he took on the volunteer role of Director of Research. In this role, Steve offers guidance to a team of volunteer researchers across the country who have researched and discovered the forgotten line of duty deaths of hundreds of fallen officers. Steve holds a Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Science from New York Institute of Technology, a Master of Science in Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership from the University of San Diego and is a graduate of the 265th Session of the FBI National Academy.
Lieutenant (Retired) W. Scott Humphrey
Scott was selected to serve on the Officer Down Memorial Page Board of Directors in 2010. He served with the Virginia Beach (VA) Police Department for 27-years, retiring on January 1st, 2020. He was a member of the Department's Honor Guard since 1995 and served as the Unit's Commanding Officer. He was a founder and leader of the Police Unity Tour of Virginia, the Police Emerald Society of Tidewater, Law Enforcement United, and also helped establish the Virginia Beach Police Foundation. Together, these organizations have raised millions of dollars for the purpose of honoring law enforcement service and sacrifice, providing assistance and support to law enforcement survivors, and memorializing those officers who have died in the line of duty. Scott holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology from Saint Leo University and a Masters of Science in Criminal Justice with a Public Administration Specialization from Liberty University. Additionally, he holds a graduate certificate from the University of Virginia in Criminal Justice Education. He is a graduate of the 36th Session of the Professional Executive Leadership School (P.E.L.S.), successfully completed the FBI-LEEDA (Law Enforcement Executive Development Association) Supervisor, Command and Executive Leadership Institutes and is a graduate of the 275th Session of the FBI National Academy.
Katherine Embry
Katherine was appointed to serve on the Officer Down Memorial Page board of directors in 2019. A 2019 graduate from Liberty University, Katherine earned degrees in Integrated Communications and Women's Leadership. She is the surviving daughter of Investigator Brandon H. Thacker ('98) and has spent much of her life finding ways to further serve and honor the law enforcement community in the United States. In 2016, Katherine founded the event “Words of Worth” at Liberty University. An annual event drawing in hundreds of attendees, W.O.W. partners with multiple organizations and on-campus clubs and departments to educate students and faculty members of the importance of law enforcement and the impact officers make in their communities across the nation. At the event, attendees write letters to the families and agencies of officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty during the year prior. Katherine currently resides in Louisville, Kentucky and works full time as an Event Coordinator at Southeast Christian Church. Additionally, she is a figure skating coach at the local skating club where she grew up training. With a specific passion and heart for the officers and law enforcement families like her own who have made the ultimate sacrifice, Katherine is looking forward to continue serving this community through the ODMP Board of Directors.