---
title: National Police Memorial Day, And A New Song For Them
description: Car Pro Show host Jerry Reynolds pays tribute to the men and women in law enforcement with a new song with lyrics inspired by his time as a police officer.
---

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# [National Police Memorial Day, And A New Song For Them](https://www.carpro.com/blog/national-police-memorial-day-and-a-new-song-for-them)

 Written by [Jerry Reynolds](https://www.carpro.com/blog/author/jerry-reynolds) | May 14, 2026 3:12:32 PM

May 15th is [National Peace Officers Memorial Day, ](https://nleomf.org/memorial/programs/national-police-week-2026/)a day set aside to honor the men and women in law enforcement who gave their lives protecting the rest of us. For most people, it’s a meaningful observance. For those who have worn the badge, it’s something much deeper.

I know because I wore one myself.

Many people know me from radio, television, or my years in the car business, but long before any of that, I worked for the Dallas Police Department. I’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with officers who were willing to risk everything for people they didn’t even know. I’ve been there for the good days, the dangerous days, and the heartbreaking days when a dear friend I was supposed to be working with was savagely gunned down at the age of 24. Rest in peace Ron Baker.

And I’ve put the black tape on my badge for others more times than I ever wanted to.

If you’re not familiar with it, when an officer dies in the line of duty, fellow officers place a black mourning band across their badge. It’s simple, quiet, and powerful. No words are necessary. Every officer understands exactly what it means.

That image never leaves you.

Which is why the song I released this week is called ***“Black Tape on My Badge.”*****

I wrote it because there are some things you carry forever. For me, one of those things is July 7, 2016.

I will never get over that night.

Seven Dallas police officers were gunned down during what had started as a peaceful protest in downtown Dallas. Five officers were murdered. Others were critically wounded. It was one of the darkest nights in the history of our city and one of the darkest moments I’ve ever personally experienced.

Even now, nearly 10 years later, it’s hard to describe the emotions from that night. Shock. Anger. Sadness. Disbelief. But mostly heartbreak. Those officers kissed their families goodbye that morning expecting to come home after work, just like every other day.

They didn’t.

For those of us connected to law enforcement, it hit differently because we understood exactly what those officers were doing when the shots rang out. They weren’t thinking about politics. They weren’t thinking about headlines. They were thinking about protecting innocent people.

That’s what police officers do every day in America.

And despite everything they face today, the overwhelming majority still do it honorably.

That’s one reason I wanted to write this song. Not to make a political statement. Not to argue with anyone. I wrote it as a tribute to the people behind the badge and the sacrifices they and their families make every single day.

As I worked through the lyrics, memories came flooding back. Officers I knew. Funerals I attended. The sound of bagpipes. 21-gun salutes. Patrol cars lined up for miles. Family members being handed neatly folded American flags and trying to stay strong while their entire world had just been shattered.

You never really forget those moments.

The older I get, the more respect I have for the men and women who continue doing this job. Every shift starts with uncertainty. Every traffic stop carries risk. Every call could change a life forever, including their own.

Yet they keep showing up.

That deserves gratitude, especially today.

National Peace Officers Memorial Day is not about politics. It’s about remembering human beings who believed protecting others mattered more than protecting themselves. It’s about honoring courage, sacrifice and service.

And for some of us, it’s personal.

So, if you see an officer this Friday, take a second to thank them. It may mean more than you realize.

And if you have a chance, listen to *“Black Tape on My Badge.”* I wrote it from experience, from memories, and from a place in my heart that still aches for the officers we’ve lost, especially those we lost here in Dallas on July 7, 2016.

For every officer who never made it home, and for every family still carrying that loss, this song is for you.  

[Click on the photo below or click here to listen and see the lyrics→](https://suno.com/song/eae875be-359e-4080-b369-d87937a0570a)

<https://suno.com/s/xOS7shKYUhB2IW9P>

### *Black Tape On My Badge*

He kissed his wife and grabbed his keys

Same thing he’s done ten thousand times

Little hands wrapped around his leg

“Daddy, will you be home tonight?”

He smiled and said, “I’ll do my best”

But deep inside he knows the truth

Every shift could be the one

That takes him from the ones he loves

Some people curse the uniform

Some politicians want it gone

But when the worst day finally comes

Guess who they still call on

I’ve stood beside a mother crying

Tried to find the words somehow

There ain’t no training in this world

For telling her her child’s gone now

And every siren screams a prayer

Every badge carries a cost

And every officer knows one day

A brother or sister could be lost

So if you see the men and women in blue

Remember they’re human too

They miss birthdays and holidays

And bleed red white and blue

They run toward danger when we run away

Stand the line so we can sleep safe

And sometimes all that’s left behind

Is black tape on a badge

And there ain’t a pain that cuts this deep

Like folding up a fallen friend’s flag

Or placing your hand across your heart

Looking at black tape on your badge

So before you judge what you don’t understand

Walk one night in their boots

Carry every scar and memory

And see if it changes you

Because they don’t do it for the paycheck

Or glory or applause

They do it because somebody has to

No matter what the cost

So tonight when they walk out that door

Pray they all make it home

Back to the families waiting up

Scared to answer the phone

For every life they try to save

And every sacrifice they’ve had

God bless the men and women in blue

And the black tape on the badge

Yeah, God bless the men and women in blue

And the black tape on the badge

 

 

 

Photo:  AI-Generated Using ChatGPT Plus.

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