Law enforcement honors the fallen at Daytona State College memorial dedication

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (July 28, 2008) - Local law enforcement and correctional officials joined Daytona State College Friday in dedicating a fountain on the College’s criminal justice training grounds in memory of those who have died in the line of duty.

“It is an honor to be able to pay tribute to the men and women who wear the uniform,” Daytona State President Kent Sharples said to nearly 100 law enforcement and correctional officials, training recruits and instructors who attended the morning ceremony. “We want you to know how much support there is for you and how much respect there is for those who have fallen.”

The Line of Duty Memorial Fountain – set within the shade of the crape myrtle lined courtyard in the College’s School of Emergency Services -  will serve to remind law enforcement and correctional recruits enrolled at Daytona State of the dangers inherent in their chosen careers, said Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson, himself a 1971 graduate of the College’s police training academy. “This memorial is great for our recruits. It is a place of peace, a place that they can reflect and be reminded of the reality of their careers in law enforcement,” he said.

Nationally, one police officer is killed every 53 hours, with Florida ranking near the top, according to Donna Suereth, a chaplain representing Florida’s Fraternal Order of Police. She recognized those from Volusia County, most recently Tomoka Correctional Officer Donna Fitzgerald, killed just weeks ago by an inmate.

Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood said the memorial’s placement at the College is appropriate because of Daytona State’s history of training most of the area’s law enforcement and correctional officers. “If you call 911, chances are a graduate of Daytona State is going to pick up the phone and another one is going to be knocking on your door,” he said. “That’s a testimony to the program here and the commitment the College has made to public safety over the years.”

The fountain was donated through contributions by the Volusia-Flagler Chiefs of Police Association and their respective departments, as well as the Citizen’s Alert Council, Rinker Materials, and the Daytona State College Foundation, as well as from private donations by College faculty, staff and students.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Glyn Johnston, Public Information Officer - Marketing & Communications, (386) 506-4499, johnstg@DaytonaState.edu

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