Officer Daniel Foley

Wyandotte (MI) Police Department

Washington, DC—The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund has announced the selection of Officer Daniel Foley of the Wyandotte (MI) Police Department as its Officer of the Month for February 2012.
In every profession there are those who work behind the scenes; whose work product is exhibited only under critical circumstances. Such is the case of Officer Daniel “Axel” Foley, whose law enforcement career began more than 25 years ago. When the unthinkable happens and a department loses one of its own, it is generally the Honor Guard Unit that takes the lead in honoring that officer by coordinating the funeral. Only the most highly-motivated individuals who show an aptitude for this essential assignment, are selected for these ceremonial details.
Almost immediately after being sworn to serve and protect the citizens of his community, Officer Foley became interested in the department’s Honor Guard Unit. Within a very short time he was invited to become an instructor for the nationally acclaimed Goshen (IN) Police Department Honor Guard Camp, as well as for the DFL Honor Guard Training School, which takes the Goshen training to departments across the country. Officer Foley saw the need for the departments in and around Wayne County to receive this specialized Honor Guard training and assumed all the planning and logistic requirements to have DFL come to southeastern Michigan.
For the past several years Officer Foley’s dedication to the important role of the Honor Guard units has resulted in hundreds of police officers and firefighters being properly trained, particularly in line-of-duty death funerals. The week-long DFL Honor Guard Training culminates with a fully simulated line-of-duty death funeral. To lend authenticity to the mock funeral, Officer Foley requests the assistance of survivors of fallen officers to participate in the funeral as if it were for their loved one. These surviving families are eager to help train future Honor Guard Unit members in appreciation for the hard work and dedication the Honor Guard members paid at their loved one’s funeral. Officer Foley believes that by reenacting what a true fallen officer funeral is like, the students understand the seriousness of this task and the impact it has on the family members.
In addition to Officer Foley’s work in training Honor Guards, he has been the first to respond when a Michigan agency loses an officer in the line of duty. His expertise and commitment to making sure the funeral is flawless has not gone unnoticed. He has received numerous commendations from local departments, including a Letter of Meritorious Citation from the City of Taylor, Michigan after coordinating two law enforcement line-of-duty death funerals in July and September 2010.
In 2009 Officer Foley was presented with the Police Officer of the Year Award by the Wyandotte Exchange Club and the 2010 Police Officer of the Year Award by the Wyandotte Rotary Club. For the past six years Officer Foley has served as the department’s sole K-9 Officer with his K-9 partner “Rommel.” He is a member of the Police Officers Association of Michigan, the Fraternal Order of Police and the National Association of Professional Canine Handlers.
Located in the Nation’s Capital, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring the service and sacrifice of America’s law enforcement officers. The Memorial Fund’s Officer of the Month Program began in September 1996 and recognizes federal, state and local officers who distinguish themselves through exemplary law enforcement service and devotion to duty.
Officer Daniel Foley, along with the other Officers of the Month for 2012, will be honored at a special awards luncheon in Washington, DC, in May 2013 during National Police Week. In addition, their stories of heroism and service will be featured in the Memorial Fund’s annual calendar.

The Police Unity Tour is the official sponsor of the Memorial Fund’s Officer of the Month Program.