The Memorial

An endeavor fueled by passion, honor and respect…

The Memorial began as a dream when a number of surviving families of line of duty death and law enforcement officers traveled to Washington, D.C. in 1995 to visit the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. The officers discovered over 35 states had law enforcement memorials honoring officers who made the ultimate sacrifice. Because Washington State did not have a state memorial, the need to honor Washington heroes was recognized and the dream began.

The Dream

Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation became a nonprofit organization in 1995, complete with a board of directors and the ability to raise public funds for construction. Political support in Olympia favored the Memorial being built on Capitol grounds as a way to recognize Washington’s fallen heroes.

Architect Selected

Located on the Capitol campus in the shadow of the Temple of Justice and looking north to Heritage Park and Puget Sound, the Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial was designed by The Portico Group to be a lasting tribute to law enforcement officers who give their lives in the line of duty. It is a Memorial of unparalleled beauty.

Contractor Selected

In April of 2004, the Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation Board unanimously selected Edifice Construction Company, Inc. of Seattle as the general contractor to oversee building of the Memorial. On May 20, 2005, the construction permit was purchased from the city of Olympia. Memorial construction began July 5th with a target completion date of December 5, 2005.

Construction

And the rain came down…

After a beautiful summer and fall, construction was hampered due to cold weather and heavy rains in November and December 2005. Tarps were brought out and heaters plugged in to improve conditions for pouring concrete. Sometimes it worked; sometimes it did not. Through it all, construction crews worked to the best of their ability. Expectations to have the Memorial completed by the beginning of December were dashed. Finally, organizers agreed construction would need to shut down for the winter.

Rain continued to be a nuisance when construction resumed mid-March 2006. Construction moved forward, often on a hope and a prayer, with tarps and tents on hand. If a dry day presented itself, whatever else may have been on the schedule was dropped to take advantage of the dry conditions

Memorial Engraving

Quiring Monuments began engraving fallen officers’ names on April 17, 2006, completing the task the following day. It was an emotional time for all present. All activity stopped as stencils were put in place, punched with each officer’s name, department, and date of death and then pulled away. A hush came over the site as the name of Washington’s first recorded line of duty death was sandblasted – Andrew Bolon, Bureau of Indian Affairs, end of watch 09-25-1855.

Washington’s Fallen Officers

Janine Gates, a photographer for the WSLEMF, said it best as she observed the engraving: “Suddenly, a flood of emotion came over me as I realized I was there…to see the very first name appear. It seemed to come alive from under the stencil, revealing the beautiful blue-gray flecked granite: A-N-D-R-E-W - B-O-L-O-N…The worker was quick, and I took pictures just as quickly. It was as if Andrew Bolon himself was being freed from obscurity.” The engraved names are not just letters on a wall – these names represent real people who left families, friends and coworkers behind when they made the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives in the line of duty.

(Historical names continue to be engraved on the Memorial. The first death recorded in the line of duty is Deputy Wesley F. Cherry, King County S.O., end of watch 03-06-1854.)

State’s Portion of the Construction Project

Washington State Department of General Administration (GA) prepared the location for the Memorial by stabilizing the construction site, building the Memorial's retaining wall and landscaping the hillside immediately below the Memorial. GA also constructed a walkway on the hillside, which enables pedestrians to access Heritage Park, Capitol Lake and downtown Olympia from the upper Capitol Campus grounds. GA gave untold hours of labor towards construction of the Memorial and donated financially to portions of the project that enhance the Memorial, the Capitol Campus, and Heritage Park.

Dedication

The Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial is a work of art. It touches the senses in a physical and emotional way. The final project cost the public over $2 million. The State also spent nearly $2 million to prepare the site for construction. On May 1, 2006, the Memorial was officially dedicated to the citizens of Washington. On May 19, 2006, the Memorial was officially turned over to the State. Perseverance and dedication resulted in a dream realized – a Memorial that honors and respects the sacrifices made to keep the citizens of Washington safe.