Police credit unions across the U.S. were joining their "brotherhood" membership Monday in mourning the shocking death of three Pittsburgh officers over the weekend with at least one memorial fund opened today by the $45 million Greater Pittsburgh Police CU.
"We've been absolutely inundated with calls and e-mails of people wanting to help and contribute as we try to get through this tragic period on an event that has shaken this city to its roots," declared Sandy Lazzara, president/CEO of GPPCU.
The three fallen officers, killed Saturday in an ambush, included two who were members of the CU and on that, "all three were in here many times and we knew their families as well," said Lazzara, whose CU has now become a central point in the city for fund-raising after Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl directed contributions to the CU.
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Earlier today, a local TV crew interviewed Lazzara regarding the Pittsburgh Fallen Heroes Fund. Memorial services for the fallen officers are slated Wednesday with a funeral on Thursday.
Commenting on the Pittsburgh deaths, Scott Arney, chairman of the national Police Officers Credit Unions Conference Committee and president/CEO of Chicago Patrolmen's FCU, said "the tragic events that have unfolded in Pittsburgh and Oakland in recent days serve as a stark and very real reminder to all of us that police officers put their lives on the line everyday in order to keep us safe."
"For those of us who work for and on behalf of police officers, we need no greater motivation to take our work seriously and to give our best at all times for the benefit of our police officers," said Arney.
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