NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON,Kan. — Deputies in Reno County belonging to the FOP #18 would like to donate and have built a Law Enforcement Memorial on the grounds of the Reno County Courthouse.
"The purpose of this is to ask permission to build a Law Enforcement Memorial on the southeast corner of the Reno County Courthouse yard," said Officer Steve Lutz, representing the FOP.
This is roughly where the flagpole is now.
"The memorial would consist of an approximately 25 foot circular base or floor with two sidewalks," Lutz said. "One of the sidewalks would head east towards Adams Street, the other one heading south toward First Avenue. The sidewalks would be constructed of a cement or like material. We will have a flagpole in the center of the circle at the point closer toward the courthouse, at like a 45 degree angle from there, some type of a granite or stone monument."
The funds for this would all be privately raised. They are going to start with those funds that have been sent to the FOP as part of memorials following the death of former members.
"We have been offered assistance by a local businessman on how to go about completing this type of project, to include how to raise the rest of the funds, also on how to do the timeline for selecting location, obtaining the things that we need to get this done," Lutz said. "We'll have to start looking at construction personnel to start building that. We have plans from a local architect, what we designed, kind of like in two phases. The first phase is doing the concrete work and the flagpole. There's already electrical out there, but we'll have to move some electrical around right there at the spot. The second phase is figuring out what kind of monument to put there and what's fitting."
With it being a two-phase project that still needs additional funding, Lutz did not have a timeline for commissioners on Wednesday.
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