An effort is underway to build a new memorial for all of the Bristol police oOfficers who died in the line of duty.
And it comes 10 months after the deaths of two officers that rocked that community.
“We are proud of the sacrifices that everyone makes,” Bristol Police Officer Mark McGrane said. “This memorial isn’t just for the Bristol Police Department. It’s for everyone who those officers' lives they touched. They can come down here and have a somber moment to reflect on how great of men they all were.”
McGrane said it’s going to be built right in front of the police department headquarters on Main Street.
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And it was in this same spot a makeshift memorial sprung up after the deaths of Lieutenant Dustin DeMonte and Sergeant Alex Hamzy last October.
“Although there is a loss here that we all have grieved over the past 10 months, we also need to move forward and there will be rebirth in this very area I’m standing in with a memorial we can all pay our respects,” said Mayor Jeff Caggiano, R – Bristol.
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DeMonte had been part of a group that for years had been thinking about reworking the current monument.
Now there’s an even greater drive to make it a little more grand to honor the fallen, which is a total of five Bristol officers.
Inside the police department, McGrane showed us the tributes to those who passed away decades ago. Those are officers James McNamee, James Burns and Ernest Schilke.
“We want them and their families to know they will never be forgotten,” McGrane said.
Now the names of all who made the ultimate sacrifice will be memorialized in the project which was spearheaded by the Bristol Police Benevolent Association.
“None of this will be possible without the support of the community that’s been very supportive of us the whole time, throughout this whole tragedy,” McGrane said.
They hope to start construction as soon as they raise enough money. The project is expected to cost $300,000.
If you’re interested in donating, you can learn more about it here.
People can mail checks to:
- Main Street Community Foundation
- P.O. Box 2702
- Bristol, CT 06011
Or they can drop it off at the Main Street Community Foundation at 120 Halcyon Dr. in Bristol. Checks should have “Police Memorial Fund” written in the memo line.
