Officials broke ground on West Haven’s first-ever memorial to city police officers on Friday.
The West Haven Police Memorial will commemorate the city’s “past, present and future” officers, according to retired Detective Lt. Paul Raucci, a member of the West Haven Police Memorial Monument Committee, who for the past decade has championed a monument to law enforcement officers.
The memorial is planned for an area beside a flagpole at the Police Department’s main entrance at 200 Sawmill Road.
The groundbreaking, held on National Peace Officers Memorial Day, featured remarks by committee Chairman Steven R. Mullins, Mayor Dorinda Borer, Police Chief Joseph S. Perno and retired Lt. John Jarvie.
“Today is Peace Officers Memorial Day,” said Mullins, the event’s master of ceremonies. “It is a day that is set apart to remember the men and women in blue who have made the ultimate sacrifice in their respective communities throughout this country.”
Borer said: “This memorial is a permanent tribute to every man and woman who has worn the West Haven police badge, past and present, and for those who will serve for years to come. It is only fitting that a city that prioritizes public safety honors those that serve and protect.”
Perno spoke about National Police Week and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, the nation’s monument to law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty.
He noted that two West Haven police officers’ names are etched on the memorial: Officer Raymond Zoller, whose end of watch was Dec. 28, 1929, and Detective Capt. Stephen Wilson, whose end of watch was Dec. 9, 1959.
In addition to Raucci, the afternoon ceremony was attended by Deputy Chief Joseph Romano, retired Chief Russell F. Kniehl Jr., retired 911 dispatcher Richard Standish and committee member Raymond Gooley Jr.
Committee members Beth Sabo and Andy Weinstein were unable to attend.
Moments before the groundbreaking, Mullins and Perno unveiled the design of the black granite memorial.
The monument will include the inscription “Honor, Duty, Courage,” separated by a gold star. It will also include an American flag and the inscription, “Dedicated to the men and women of the West Haven Police Department,” adorned with the department’s badge logo.
“Policing is such an important and dangerous job,” said Jarvie, the president of the West Haven Police Department Retired Officers Association. “This goes a long way in helping to keep the morale up and remembering all the officers past and present.”
Officials plan to formally dedicate the memorial in early fall.
To coincide with the monument, the committee plans to launch a campaign selling brick pavers to memorialize officers’ names on the walkway leading to the department’s main entrance. Each brick would include a personalized message.