Police officers and residents of Greenville and Bethel welcomed badge-toting bicyclists who stopped twice in Pitt County on Wednesday along a 1,000 mile "Police Unity Tour" bicycle trek to Washington, D.C.

The riders are promoting a fund for fallen officers and the National Law Enforcement Memorial, which receives no government support.

UNITY TOUR VIDEO Officers bike through Greenville, Bethel to raise awarness, funds and pay respects. Greg Eans/The Daily Reflector (ENLARGE)

Members of the Police Unity Tour, a group of law enforcement officers from across the nation that ride bicycles to Washington DC for National Police Officer Memorial Week each May, stand in a circle at the Bethel Police Department Wednesday morning while honoring fallen comrades during a stop in the town.

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Barbara Kelly of Bethel wipes away tears while participating in a ceremony at the Bethel Police Department Wednesday with members of the Police Unity Tour group.

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Rob Moorhead with the Police Unity Tour, a group of law enforcement officers from across the nation that ride bicycles to Washington DC for National Police Officer Memorial Week each May, plays the bag pipes during a moment of silence for fallen comrades at the Bethel Police Department Wednesday morning.

They stopped early Wednesday at the Greenville Police Department before traveling to Bethel for another gathering.

Hunt Taylor, recently retired from the Virginia Beach Police Department, said the group of 12 riders left the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Brunswick, Ga. seven days ago and has stopped at local welcoming ceremonies on its way to Washington.

"We want to pay homage to officers killed in the line of duty and show their families and friends that the officers have not, and will not, be forgotten," Taylor said.

The trip is to culminate with a ceremony at the national memorial.

Kevin Whelan, an assistant special agent in charge with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, said his group has traveled more than 650 miles.

"We average about 100 miles a day, but we'll take a day off in Virginia Beach to register another 600 officers, who will ride with us from there to Washington," Whelan said.

This is the 11th year of the tour, Taylor said. Anyone who has ever had a loved one killed in the line of duty, regardless of the year, need only contact the group to add that person's name to the list of honored dead that members recognize at the memorial, he said.

"We've received a tremendous show of support and have had escorts almost the entire way," Taylor said.

Greenville Police Chief William Anderson stood on the steps of police headquarters and thanked the riders for stopping. He spoke of his own department's loss April 14, 2007, when officer Jason Campbell died in a traffic crash while on duty.

"Jason was one of the leaders of our community policing philosophy," Anderson said. "The close connection that he made with the community to which he was assigned was reflective of our philosophy and made his loss even more tragic."

The chief said he would travel to Washington with the Campbell family for the national memorial ceremony.

Four GPD officers — Capt. Tom Forrest, Records Supervisor Lambert Harris, L. Robbie Williams and Telecommunicator Richard Pierce — joined the riders for the Greenville portion of the trip.

In Bethel, they were met at police headquarters by a large group led by Chief Barry Stanley and Mayor Al Scharringhausen.

Three officers have been killed in the line of duty in Bethel's history, and Stanley welcomed the riders there to share a moment of silence followed by a reading of the officers' names.

"The big thing is having the citizens here to share in the memorial to those officers and the ultimate sacrifice they give us," Stanley said.

Scharringhausen told the audience that officers are the "definition of a hero." Unlike the glorious welcome given to soldiers returning from war's end, he said, law enforcement officers face the same uncertain circumstances day after day for as long as they work.

"We cannot honor these people enough," Scharringhausen said. "In the middle of the night they have to stop a car knowing it might be the last person they ever see, and the last thing they hear might be the shot fired by a criminal."

Bike rider Rob Moorehead played "Amazing Grace" on bagpipes before the tour left for Edenton, where its riders would spend the night.

MEMORIAL TO BE HELD TODAY

The Pitt County Law Enforcment Memorial ceremony honoring officers that have died in the line of duty will be held today the Greenville Town Common. The event begins at 10 a.m.