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PIKEVILLE, Ky. — In observance of National Police Week, the Pikeville Police Department is hosting an Officer Appreciation Ceremony Tuesday at the East Kentucky Expo Center.

This is the fourth year the event will be held in Pikeville.

“Everyone out of the area, Lexington, Louisville, Frankfort, all of these places were having events in conjunction with National Police Week. They were honoring current, former and fallen officers,” said Pikeville Police Department Detective Bruce Collins. “One of the things we noticed is we didn’t have that here in Pikeville. So we decided to get together and have an event so that we could remember all officers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, along with appreciation for those that are current and former serving officers in our area.”

The event grows every year and now even officers from surrounding states attend the ceremony.

“The first year it was actually outside in front of the expo center,” said Lt. Michael Riddle with the Pikeville Police Department. “It grew so big we had to take it inside the expo center and actually use the floor space.”

Organizers say each year the ceremony is special but this year it will be slightly different. This will be the first time the Pikeville Police Department will see Officer Scotty Hamilton’s name on the Pike County Fallen Officers Memorial. 

“It’s definitely going to have more of a special feel to our department,” said Lt. Riddle. “Now we actually have an officer that we worked with, seen everyday… his name is going to be on this memorial.”

“All of those names on those memorials you feel a certain tie to,” added Det. Collins. “But whenever it’s someone that you’ve strapped the gear on and you came out here with everyday and you seen on a daily basis, it’s a little more somber.”

The event will begin Tuesday at noon.