Raleigh police chief honors officers with NC State ceremonial pitch

Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce used a ceremonial first pitch at NC State to put a human face on National Police Week, a moment meant to honor officers, reach skeptical residents and remind the public what police say they are protecting.

Boyce was scheduled to throw the pitch Friday at the NC State baseball game against North Carolina as part of a weeklong observance that stretched from Sunday, May 10, through Saturday, May 16. Around Raleigh, the tribute was hard to miss: the WRAL tower, PNC Tower, the Governor’s Mansion and the Raleigh Convention Center wall were lit blue, and fallen officer banners lined Fayetteville Street downtown.

The symbolism came with a heavier backdrop. Raleigh held a memorial service at Hayes Barton Baptist Church honoring more than 20 officers who died in the line of duty, including Roger Smith, Gabriel Torres and Wake County Deputy Ned Byrd. The Raleigh Police Department said its annual Wake County Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Ceremony would formally recognize 23 fallen officers from across the county, tying the local observance to a national tradition that dates to 1962, when President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day.

Boyce said the week is a chance to honor officers who died while serving and to recognize those still on the street. It also gave city leaders another public stage to argue that police remain central to Raleigh’s civic life, even as residents continue weighing questions about staffing, gun violence and trust in law enforcement. Boyce spoke publicly Monday about reducing gun violence and said he was optimistic city leaders would account for police staffing in the upcoming budget.

The chief has been in position only a little more than a year, but he is already the face of the department’s public message. Boyce became Raleigh’s 31st police chief, started his duties on March 1, 2025, and was sworn in on April 2, 2025. He now leads more than 900 total personnel, including 792 sworn officer positions, after 25 years with the Raleigh Police Department. For Boyce, the ballpark appearance was not just ceremonial. It was a public bid for goodwill at a time when police across Wake County are asking residents to see the department not only as an agency of enforcement, but as part of the community itself.