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Tears of remembrance filled the Capitol courtyard today as the families of slain police officers and hundreds of officers remembered those who have died in the line of duty. Six Florida officers died in 2014, and as Mike Vasilinda tells us, some worry heightened relations between citizens and police could result in more officers down.

A sea of police motorcycles, surviving family, and bagpipes led the annual parade of officers to the State Capitol.

This was the 33rd year they have come to remember those lost doing their duty. It was the first time no statewide elected officials were in attendance. James Preston, President of the Fraternal Order of Police says each year brings new hope.

“We’ve stood upon these grounds for 33 years, with the hope that next year there will be no more names to all to the walls. Sadly, in 2014, Florida lost six officers in the line of duty.”

One by one those six families planted a rose on a floral map of Florida.

Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings has lost nine officers in his career.

“Law enforcement officers have come under fire in this nation” warned Demings.

He worried out loud that increased animosity between police and the public could lead to an increase in officers down. “If law enforcement officers are unduly criticized, sometimes it may cause them to second guess themselves in a split second. That hesitation is what might get them killed” said Demings.

One of the last acts of the legislature before they abruptly quit was to increase the burial benefits for slain officers from a thousand to five thousand dollars.

Florida has already lost one officer in 2015, guaranteeing these and other officers will be back again next year.

Governor Rick Scott, who has attended all four of the memorials during his first time was on the road for today’s memorial, holding two jobs related news conferences.