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THE SAN JOAQUIN County Sheriff’s Office has raised almost half of the $500,000 in private donations it needs to complete its memorial to law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. But the clock is ticking.
“We would like to break ground as soon as possible,” said sheriff’s Lt. Aaron Dunsing, who is helping to spearhead the effort to line up funding from contributors. The target to start is July.
The memorial will feature a bronze sculpture with benches where people can sit and reflect on those who gave their lives in the line of duty.
“This would be constant reminder and remembrance for our fallen for decades to come,” said Dunsing, 27-year veteran of the office and an honor guard member. His father was also on the force and honor guard, retiring as a sergeant after 30 years of service.
The Sheriff’s Office would pay tribute to the eight men who died in the line of duty — five deputies and three constables. Constables, a job category that no longer exists in the county, often served basically as resident deputies in remote corners of the expansive county.
The bronze statues would be modeled on present-day personnel: sheriff’s Sgt. Jocelyn Smith, and Corrections Officer Cornell Gray.
To get work started, the Sheriff’s Office is hoping more will donate at levels ranging from $100 to $7,000 — or more, he said. Those giving at the $7,000 level will get a miniature bronze version of the statue. As of March 5, the project still needed $261,500.
The memorial would be situated at the sheriff’s headquarters in French Camp. It would be in addition to the police memorial dedicated to all officers in the county at Stockton Police Department.
This story originally appeared in Stocktonia.
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