Elgin wants to honor retired police officers

A fundraising effort for a memorial or monument honoring retired Elgin police officers is underway.

Members of the Elgin Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association have started raising money by selling $50 commemorative brick pavers that can be named after current or retired employees, including civilians, as well as volunteers of the police department.

The first 145 pavers were installed Wednesday morning outside the police headquarters in downtown Elgin.

"It was a couple months ago at a meeting when there was a proposal that we do something to honor the retired officers," said Association Vice President Michelle Groeper of Elgin, "because they don't have anything really to honor their memory after they retire from the organization."

People can also purchase the pavers as personal keepsakes, said Deputy Chief Bill Wolf, who was among about 10 police staff members who helped public works employees install the pavers.

The pavers net $30 each after cost, and the initiative has raised about $6,000 so far, Wolf said. Anyone interested in purchasing a commemorative brick to honor a current or retired police employee should contact Christy Schmidt at (847) 289-2588 or schmidt_c@cityofelgin.org.

Elgin police hope an architect or similar expert will volunteer his or her services to come up with ideas for the memorial or monument, which could be a free-standing structure or an installation along the front of the police department, Wolf said.

"A lot of people are throwing a lot of ideas around," he said.

The new commemorative pavers officially will be unveiled at the annual police memorial service at 2:30 p.m. May 12 at the police department, 151 Douglas Ave. "We encourage everyone to come out," Groeper said.