The Michigan Fraternal Order of Police is looking to raise roughly a million dollars to help fund a memorial for officers who fell in the line of duty.
Land near the state capital to build the memorial was donated in 2006, but a state committee has struggled to raise the necessary $3 million to break ground on the project.
The Fraternal Order order of Police has now stepped in, along with local police departments, to help raise the last million dollars.
Dave Hiller is the Executive Director of the Michigan Fraternal Order of Police. He said roughly 600 officers have died in the state over the last one hundred years.
“Unfortunately we’re in the top ten. You would hope that there was never going to be another one but obviously that doesn’t happen. Seven in the last year alone.”
Hiller said the memorial is especially for the families of fallen officers.
“This is strictly for those who paid the ultimate sacrifice when they lost one of their spouses, brothers, and sisters. This is us showing them we don’t forget.”
With any luck, said Hiller, they will be able to break ground on the project soon.
“Our goal is to raise the last, slightly less than one million dollars, so that we can break ground late this year or early into spring.”
He says Michigan is one of the last states to build a permanent memorial site for fallen officers.
The land for the fallen officer memorial is on the state capitol grounds, next to the State Vietnam Memorial.