About
The Connecticut Police Chief’s Law Enforcement Memorial was born out of a ceremony at the Groton Long Point Police Department in May 1985. The late Groton Long Point Chief, Al Burbank was responsible for the first statewide law enforcement memorial services for officers, troopers and federal agents who had lost their lives in the line of duty while serving in the State of Connecticut.
Retired Chief Thomas Rotunda, of the Ridgefield Police Department who was president of the Connecticut Police Chief’s Association in 1985 was quite moved by the ceremony and decided to take action to ensure that a permanent memorial would be erected for the fallen Connecticut law enforcement personnel. Chief Rotunda hoped that a memorial could be built at the Connecticut Police Academy, in Meriden, Ct where the vast majority of police officers, both local and state receive their recruit and in-service training. It was hoped that having the memorial on the site of the training academy it would remind both the recruits and the veteran officers of the ultimate sacrifices made by the many Connecticut law enforcement personnel throughout the state.
Many committees were formed by the Connecticut Police Chiefs in an effort to design a permanent memorial, raise funds to construct it, raise public awareness of the project to both the public and the entire Connecticut law enforcement community. On February 21, 1986 Governor William O’Neill presented Mr. Jonathan Humble, a Hartford Architect with the first-place prize for his design of the project.
Ultimately, the decision was made to construct the memorial at the Connecticut Police Academy which is located right off Interstate I-691, and very close to Interstate I-91, both of which have very high traffic volumes. The site at the academy ensured that the memorial could be seen by the traveling public. Legislation was passed by the Connecticut General Assembly to authorize the construction, of the memorial on state property.
Funds were raised over the next three years in an effort to raise the $375,000 needed to get the project built. The task of erecting the memorial itself was given to Mr. Geno J. Lupinacci, Sr. who specialized in memorial projects throughout the State of Connecticut. He took a personal interest in the memorial and worked with the police chiefs on every aspect of the project. Mr. Lupinacci held his costs throughout the duration of the project due to the difficulties he saw, with raising the funds for the memorial. Mr. Jamie Almeda, of Associated Construction of Hartford stepped forward and agreed to coordinate the construction of the project and serve as a liaison with Mr. Lupinacci.
After three years, the granite was ordered and the actual construction of the Connecticut Police Chiefs’ Law Enforcement Memorial began in the summer of 1989, four years after the idea of Chief Tom Rotunda it finally came together. At the time of the dedication in the fall of 1989, 107 officers, troopers, and federal agents had made the ultimate sacrifice while serving the citizens of Connecticut. Fast forward thirty-five years and unfortunately, we now have 151 names etched in the stone of the memorial.
We have since added an eternal flame to the memorial site and continue to make improvements to the Connecticut Police Chiefs’ Memorial to make sure that we will honor and “Never Forget” our heroes who have given their lives all protecting all of us. The foundation is forever grateful to the Police Association of Connecticut, (PAC)which has supported the memorial since the very beginning in 1987. The Connecticut Police Association has taken on the overall maintenance of the memorial including the beautiful flowers, Christmas decorations, mowing, and the etching of the names on the memorial itself. We have a very strong commitment to the families of our fallen heroes, and have forged a very strong relationship with The Hundred Club of Connecticut which is in contact with all of the families throughout the calendar year and will continue forever. The Connecticut Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation will ‘NEVER FORGET’.