Thirty-nine years have passed since the line-of-duty death of Nether Providence Police Detective Sgt. Raymond L. White.

White was collecting evidence at the scene of a homicide when he suffered a fatal heart attack on April 10, 1983. He was 54.  

This morning, Chief David Splain and Traffic Safety Officer Kevin Smith joined members of the Fallen Heroes Wreath Program at Edgewood Memorial Park where a wreath was placed at their fallen brother’s grave.  

“We are honored to participate in this annual program,” Splain said, noting it’s just one of the ways that White is remembered by the department he served for 25 years.    

In 2018, the Nether Providence Police Department Officer of the Year Award was renamed the Raymond L. White Officer of the Year Award, with recipients elected by their peers.

A plaque with the names of awardees - Sgt. Robert Elmore in 2018; Patrolman James Irey in 2019 and 2020; Patrolman Brian Bonnes in 2021; and Sgt. Michael Montgomery in 2022 – along with White’s photograph and his glass-encased uniform hang in the lobby of the police department. 

“It’s important that we never forget,” Splain said. 

The purpose of the Fallen Heroes Wreath Program is “to honor the sacrifice made by Law Enforcement Officers who were killed in the line of duty. We produce and place wreaths at the final resting places of fallen officers during the winter holiday season.”