Sep 18, 2026

St. Joseph Police Chief encourages to continue to never forget events of 9/11

Posted Sep 18, 2026 12:00 PM

By MATT PIKE

Patriot Day, a day remembering the tragic events of September 11th, was one week ago, but St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster says it's important to remember those events every day.

On the 25th anniversary of the attacks in New York and at the Pentagon, officers from the St. Joseph Police Department participated in events around St. Joseph commemorating the events, including the stair climb at Missouri Western State University as well as the annual Remembrance Ceremony at the Firefighter Memorial at Fire Station 9,

Luster says with it being the 25th anniversary, the events put into perspective how many there are in law enforcement, as well as the fire department, who weren't even alive back then.

"So, very important time to remember and honor all those that died that day, not only first responders, but all the citizens," Luster says on the KFEQmunnity show. "But also, a good time to remember our sense of duty and our sense of purpose and why we actually do this job."

Luster says it can be difficult to put things into perspective at times, in this day with so many that didn't experience the events but says it's still important to show young officers the importance.

"The Sheriff was talking about at the Police Academy he was showing them videos of it, and it seemed almost foreign to some of those young kids out there," Luster explains. "So, I think it's an important time to relay those messages."

Luster says each time he's honored to speak at an event for September 11th, he looks to research the life of a law enforcement official who lost their life in the line of duty on that day, to tell their story.

And even though it's one week later, Luster says it's still always important to remember the events of that day and the lives lost.

Interview

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.