By JOSEPH FITZGERALD

WOONSOCKET — It’s a sobering statistic. Each year, between 140 and 160 police officers are killed in the line of duty and their families and co-workers are left to cope with the tragic loss.

On Friday morning, 13 members of the Woonsocket Police Department set out on a journey to help raise money for resources to help those families rebuild their shattered lives. The officers stepped off from River Island Park for the department’s 9th annual COPS Walk to Washington, D.C. to honor their fallen peers during National Police Week.
The 450-mile COPS Walk journey will help raise money for the Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS) organization that assists the families of fallen members of law enforcement nationwide.
The 13 Woonsocket officers — Ed Cunanan, George McMann, Bill Coupe, Todd Boisvert, Shawn Carpenter, Peter Menard, John Raymond, Mike Mantufi, Patrick McGourty, Brad Scully, Roland Bousquet, Kevin L’Heroux and Mike Villard — embarked on a relay-style walk from Woonsocket to Washington, D.C. To date, the Woonsocket Police Department COPS Walk has donated over $50,000 for the COPS. 
The team will be taking two police vehicles on the journey for safety, along with a mobile home as their traveling base for the five-day trip. Each member of the team will rotate through shifts, keeping one member walking or running at all times. Each team member will log about four miles on the road each time his turn comes up in the rotation and will tally about 40 miles of travel by the time the trip ends.
“The entire trip is about 450 miles and will take five days doing it in four-mile legs,” said Cunanan, who is taking part in his fifth COPS Walk. Each of the officers is carrying a hand-carved walking stick carved by Robert Shaw, who was recognized at yesterday’s ceremony. Shaw, the father of fallen Providence Police Sgt. Steven Shaw, represents COPS in Rhode Island. Shaw, who lost his son to a police gun battle with a suspect in 1994, attends the department’s walk send-offs every year.
“On behalf of Rhode Island survivors, we thank you for taking this journey,” said Shaw, who also recited an old Irish blessing.
“May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.”
Police Chief Thomas S. Carey lauded the efforts of the officers.
“I’m very proud to have officers do so much for the community they serve,” he said.
The 30-minute ceremony, which was attended by City Council President Leo T. Fontaine and Councilwoman Suzanne J. Vadenais, also recognized Woonsocket COPS Walk founding members and retired officers, Tony Wood and Ron Tetreault. There was also a moment of silence observed for all officers who have died in the line of duty.
A special blessing was given by Rev. Dr. Sammy Vaughn of the St. James Baptist Church in Woonsocket.
Following the ceremony, the team set out along South Main Street to Route 102 following mostly back roads through Rhode Island and Connecticut towards New Jersey. Family members and friends were invited to walk the first three miles with the team.
This year, 387 names of fallen officers will be added to the national Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. Of that number, 133 are officers who died in the line of duty during 2008; the other 254 died in previous years, but were lost in history until now.
On May 14, Concerns of Police Survivors will celebrate 25 years of assisting survivors.  A 25th Anniversary Gala Celebration will be held that day in Washington, DC.
COPS was organized in 1984 with 110 members. Today the membership is over 15,000 families. Members include spouses, children, parents, siblings, significant others, and affected co-workers of officers killed in the line of duty.
COPS programs for survivors include the National Police Survivors’ Conference held each May during National Police Week, scholarships, peer-support at the national, state, and local levels, “COPS Kids” counseling reimbursement program, the “COPS Kids” Summer Camp, “COPS Teens” Outward Bound experience for young adults, special retreats for spouses, parents, siblings, adult children, and in-laws, trial and parole support, and other assistance programs.