Liberty welcomes Virginia AG Jason Miyares to Law Enforcement Appreciation event

Attorney General of Virginia Jason Miyares gave a heartwarming gratitude speech at Liberty University’s Law Enforcement Appreciation Luncheon on Tuesday.

The second annual event was hosted by Liberty University School of Law and the Helms School of Government. Twenty police departments, sheriff’s offices, and other agencies were represented, including local and statewide departments from Roanoke, Martinsville, Appomattox, and others throughout Central Virginia.

“I go to work in the morning and put on a tie. You go to work in the morning and put on a bulletproof vest,” Miyares told officers in a room at Liberty Law. “It’s unlike any job in America today. I call it the hardest job.”

Miyares reminded officers that for most of human history, the powerful have subjected their will against the less fortunate. He said that Scripture teaches the opposite: everyone, regardless of status or money, should be treated equally under the law.

This notion of ethics that served as the foundation for the United States, Miyares said, is what makes America different.

“That thread has been with us in our Western thought of what the law is throughout our entire Western Civilization,” he said. “And it is one of the most transformative ideas to every administer in human consciousness.”

Miyares is the third high-ranking member of Virginia government to visit Liberty’s campus in the last seven months. Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears spoke to students in Convocation and attended a CEO Summit last month, and newly elected Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin spoke in Convocation in March.

“My office takes great pride in working with you,” Miyares told the officers, “working alongside you, being a partner and not working against you. I think that’s critically important. Many of you in many ways have seen the face of hell. But by the compassion you show to victims by being their shield, you’re able to show them a small glimpse of heaven. That’s a unique role unlike any other we have in society. And so, the least we can do as a country, the least we can do as a commonwealth, is to thank you.”

Prior to Tuesday’s lunch, Liberty Law Dean Morse Tan, School of Government Dean Robert Hurt, and Provost and Chief Academic Officer Scott Hicks welcomed the law enforcement officers to campus, thanked them for their dedication and faithful service, and offered their support. Campus Pastor Jonathan Falwell led the prayer before the meal.

“We are so happy and delighted to be able to recognize law enforcement, because law enforcement is so crucial to the rule of law, which we believe in very deeply and strongly here,” Tan said. “So many times, attorneys work hand and glove with law enforcement to see that the laws of the land are upheld and implemented and encored. And you all are the ones that do that.”

“It really is an honor to have you all here. Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers, and that’s what you do every day when you put on that uniform. We’re so grateful for you,” Hurt added. “The law is nothing but a piece of paper unless you have someone willing to enforce it and to make sure it’s done with honor and integrity, and that’s what you all do, and we’re just grateful for that.”

Hicks outlined the importance of integrity in this dangerous profession, and he reminded law enforcement officers that Liberty will always support them.

“We want you to know that we’re praying for you. We love you here at Liberty,” Hicks said. “And if there’s anything that we can do to serve you, we want to be able to serve you.”

Under the School of Government, Liberty offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in criminal justice, with focuses on Crime Scene Investigation, Homeland Security, Juvenile Justice, and more. Programs are offered residentially and online.