COLORADO SPRINGS — An assessment is happening to figure out how to fix extreme damage to the Pikes Peak Region Peace Officers’ Memorial in Colorado Springs. "They took a very sharp object and they scratched through the names that are on that monument,” said Janet Huffer who serves on the board of the memorial.
More than the damage, Huffer says this is an attack on the people close to the officers who are memorialized. “For those people, those families of those officers that died in the line of duty, that has been heart wrenching." There are family members who visit the memorial often. They consider it sacred space.
Someone has gone to the back side and permanently scratched lines across five of the names. Estimates for repairs are as much as $50,000. It took a decade to raise the money to build the monument. Huffer says there were kids “emptying piggy banks” to contribute. It is going to take some time to raise money for the repairs.
Fundraising is happening through the Pike Peak Region Peace Officer’s Memorial board. The goal is first for repairs. If there are excess funds the board will look at added security measures.
