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“Cooperation and Justice”
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The Kansas Law Enforcement Memorial Drawing Sale will help raise money to be used for the restoration. The drawing for sale is a highly detailed black and white drawing of the Kansas Law Enforcement Memorial. The drawings are a limited edition of 2000, and are signed and numbered by the artist. They are 16 inches by 20 inches, and are suitable for framing. All of the proceeds from the sale of the drawings will be given to the Kansas Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation to be used for the restoration of the Memorial. Drawing Sale Brochure | Drawing Sale Form Progress Update as of November 9, 2005
In 1866, Felix A. Boller was the City Marshal of Ogden, Kansas. On December 12, 1866, Marshal Boller observed a group of soldiers entering a private home while one of them stayed on the porch appearing to guard the front door. Concerned for the safety of a female resident, Marshal Boller ordered the soldier standing guard to come out, at which point the soldier shot and killed the marshal. Felix A. Boller is the first law enforcement officer in the state of Kansas known to have been killed in the line of duty. But not until 1976, almost 110 years after Marshal Boller's murder, were any formal discussions held to propose creation of a state memorial dedicated to those law enforcement officers who had paid the ultimate price in their effort to maintain the safety of the citizens of Kansas. In 1983, representatives of the Kansas Fraternal Order of Police organized the first Kansas Law Enforcement Memorial Service, and joined forces with the Kansas Peace Officers' Association, the Kansas Sheriffs' Association, the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police, the Kansas State Troopers' Association, and the Kansas Attorney General's Office to promote construction of a Law Enforcement Memorial on the grounds of the Kansas Statehouse. In 1984, the Kansas Legislature and the governor authorized construction of the memorial northeast of the Capitol Building, and provided that the construction and upkeep of the memorial be financed by private grants, gifts, contributions or bequests. At the same time, the Kansas Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Advisory Committee began a fund-raising drive that lasted just more than two years. On October 14, 1986, the Committee held a special ceremony to unveil the limestone monument which bore the names of 163 officers dating back to Marshal Felix Boller. The monument had been completed at a cost of $71,596.78. On May 8, 1987, former Kansas City Police Chief and Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Clarence M. Kelley was the keynote speaker at the first Kansas Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Ceremony to be held following the completion of the monument. For the next 15 years, the limestone monument provided the focal point of each of the memorial ceremonies. THREE SIGNIFICANT ISSUES By the time the Memorial Ceremony was held on April 25, 2001, the Law Enforcement Memorial Advisory Committee was aware of three significant issues regarding the monument. First, a total of 69 names - both contemporary and historic - had been added to the monument since 1986. Unfortunately, a very limited number of open spaces remain for additional names. While the majority of names being added to the monument are historic, the Advisory Committee recognized that more space would be necessary at some point in the not-too-distant future. Second, a number of the names which had been engraved in the monument were beginning to erode, and other portions of the monument were beginning to deteriorate as a result of exposure to the elements. Third, a major renovation project on the north side of the Capitol grounds would result in the dismantling and storage of the original monument for at least two years. The Capitol project will return the law enforcement monument to its original location once the renovation is sufficiently complete. UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY
The Advisory Committee saw the confluence of these issues as a unique opportunity. While the renovation of the Capitol grounds resulted in the removal of the original monument, the Advisory Committee has the opportunity to ensure that the stone which replaced the original monument is significantly more resistant to deterioration from the weather, and has sufficient room for additional names to be added for many years into the future. While the "new" monument will look very similar to the original, it will be capped with gray granite rather than limestone. The granite caps will provide a dramatically more durable surface, while maintaining much of the same appearance as the original stone. In addition, a new lower ring attached to the outside wall will provide room for as many as 240 more names. It is, of course, our sincere hope that this ring will never have to be engraved. Realistically, however, the additional space should be more than sufficient for many years to come. YOUR HELP IS NEEDED The actual cost of restoring the monument to its original condition is included in the scope of the Capitol renovation project. The cost of restoring the monument to include the granite capstones and the additional outer ring is currently projected to be $160,000. We are requesting the assistance of all supporters of law enforcement in helping us meet this goal. The Kansas Fraternal Order of Police, the Kansas Peace Officers' Association, the Kansas Sheriffs' Association, the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Kansas State Troopers' Association have each pledged $2,000 toward the renovation project. Corporate contributions and individual contributions are needed as well. The Kansas Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation is a
501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation. Contributions for the renovation
project are tax-deductible. Contributions can be made to "The Kansas Law
Enforcement Memorial Foundation" at Commerce Bank and Trust, P.O. Box
5049, Topeka, Kansas 66605.
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