Officers memorial to be renovated
Spokane was the first city in Washington to build a memorial for law enforcement officers killed on the job, and now the 19-year-old monument needs a few adjustments.
There is no more room on the granite to engrave the names of officers, cracked and broken panels need to be replaced, and the memorial needs to be moved to a more public location.
The Spokane County Deputy Sheriff’s Association will present a $5,000 check at 10 a.m. today to help with the $60,000 revamp.
Successful fundraising this year will help with the move and a re-dedication planned for May 2007, the 20th anniversary of the memorial, officials said.
Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Gary Smith, chairman of the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Project, said so far about half of the money needed to make the necessary changes to the memorial has been raised.
Until this year, Spokane was the only city where a monument honoring fallen law enforcement officers existed, Smith said. Olympia dedicated a $1.9 million memorial in May.
Both granite structures contain the names of Washington jailers, and city, county, state and federal law enforcement officers killed on the job since 1855, officials said.
Spokane’s memorial consists of about 250 names, Smith said. About 20 more names will be added when the monument, currently located behind Spokane County Courthouse, is moved to a grassy area about 300 yards east of its current location. The move will allow room to add more granite to the memorial.
Sgt. Dave Reagan, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office spokesman, said the monument was created after Spokane Police Detective Brian Orchard was shot and killed in 1983, and officials wanted to make sure the law enforcement officer was honored.
“No such memorial for fallen law enforcement officers existed (in Washington),” Reagan said. “Formal planning for the Spokane County Memorial began in 1984.”
Construction of the monument was completed on May 16, 1987. It was expanded in late 1999 and early 2000 to accommodate additional names.