Nearly a week after the joint funeral for Bristol Police Lt. Dustin DeMonte and Sgt. Alex Hamzy, people are still being drawn to the massive memorial outside the police department. The person who is caring for the memorial says about 100 people are still visiting per day.
Lindsey Rivers works for Bristol’s Department of Public Works. She actually works in the accounting division but for the past few weeks, she has been the memorial’s caretaker.
“We want to make sure that it is respectable and when you come here everything is neat and orderly,” Rivers said.
Rivers said she attends to the memorial multiple times a day, rotating items and keeping the countless bouquets and buckets of flowers watered and fresh.
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Those solemnly paying tribute Thursday were appreciative of her efforts and the community support.
“It’s incredible,” said Judy Nielsen, of Bristol. “It’s love, and love is something we sometimes take for granted.”
Balloons blowing in the wind Thursday adorn a police cruiser which is draped and nearly covered with countless flower bouquets. Eventually, this memorial will be replaced with something more permanent.
A committee is forming to discuss ideas and the mayor’s office is collecting suggestions from the public.
“If you could do something with the flowers, like dry them out and put together [in] some sort of memorial, that would be long lasting,” suggested Alexandra Vojtila, who grew up in Southington and now lives in Florida.
Rivers said some flowers are being thoughtfully composted. They’re being saved for an eventual city landscape to be constructed in front of the Bristol Police Department.
The plastic material from balloons and flower packaging is also being recycled. It will be sent to TREX decking, where it will be melted down and incorporated into two memorial benches, one each for DeMonte and Hamzy.
Meanwhile, Rivers is meticulously overseeing the memorial, maintaining what has become hallowed ground.
“We just want to make sure that the community can heal and come here to pay their respects,” she said.
