29-04-2025
Police Week honors those who made the ultimate sacrifice
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – Our region is once again preparing to honor the ultimate sacrifice made by police officers who have been killed in the line of duty.
Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham hosted the Southern Tier Law Enforcement Memorial Association today to announce details of Police Week next week. Each year, during the first week in May, the organization honors all officers who served within the 7 counties within New York State Police Troop C.
This year, a 39th name will be added to its permanent memorial wall, located outside of Binghamton City Hall. Edward Kulik, a veteran of both State Police and the Johnson City Police Department, died recently from cancer linked to his work at Ground Zero following the 9/11 World Trade Center terrorist attack.
Kraham says it's important to recognize the many sacrifices made by law enforcement officers and their families.
'We should be doing everything that we can to support the men and women of law enforcement, to recognize those sacrifices, to make sure they are supported, that they are loved and that we come together on Police Week to honor them, to celebrate them and raise awareness for the issues of law enforcement,' Kraham said.
This August will mark the 30th anniversary of the line-of-duty death of Binghamton Patrolman Lee Barta. Barta was ambushed and shot in the back by Edmond Travis the Third while Barta was searching for the 19-year-old who had absconded from his work release program.
The Lee Barta Community Center is named for the fallen officer and is located down the street from where Barta was killed. Binghamton Police Chief Joe Zikuski was a sergeant with the department at the time and had been Barta's supervisor when he worked undercover with the Special Investigations Unit.
'I was close with Lee. I delivered his paycheck to his house for 6 months because nobody here knew he was a police officer. When he got shot, I was actually in the gym working out. I was working afternoon hours. It was a long manhunt that day. It ended up with Travis shooting and killing himself over on the Northside. It was a day a lot of us will never forget,' Zikuski said.
Ziksuski and Kraham are both scheduled to make remarks at the Police Week flag raising ceremony next Monday at 11 a.m. outside of City Hall. Barta's widow, Mary, is one of two keynote speakers at the annual Police Week Memorial Breakfast next Tuesday at Endwell Greens.
Other events include a memorial church service on Sunday at 2 o'clock at The Father's Heart in Vestal, a corn hole tournament on Friday May 9th at 5 p.m. at American Legion Post 1645 on Robinson Street and a Community Day on Saturday May 10th from 11 to 3 outside of Dick's House of Sport at the Oakdale Commons.
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