On the Job 

On the morning of May 11, 2000, a Cincinnati Police Honor Guard transported a torch ignited at the city’s police memorial to the grounds of the Ohio Police Officer Training Academy in London, where then-Attorney General Betty Montgomery lit the eternal flame of the Ohio Fallen Officers Memorial.

In her remarks during the dedication, Montgomery noted that the names of 632 Ohio law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty were inscribed on the circular memorial wall: “Today, we glorify these officers by opening to the public this beautiful memorial that will stand for generations in tribute to those who fight evil in the name of truth and justice.”

In the 24 years since, time and weather combined to degrade some of the names etched into the limestone memorial. A facelift was in order.

This year’s Ohio Peace Officers Memorial Ceremony coincides with a major renovation. Thirty-two panels of polished black granite, freshly engraved with the names of 836 peace officers, were recently mounted on the face of the memorial wall.

“This work brings new luster not only to the memorial wall but to the memory of every fallen officer represented there,” Attorney General Dave Yost said. “It is our duty to make sure their names never fade into history.”

Dodds Memorials of Xenia was hired to do the renovation. The panels were engraved over two days by a computer-guided carbon dioxide laser. Because polished black granite is extremely durable and weather-resistant and requires minimal maintenance, the names of Ohio’s fallen officers will retain their place of honor on the memorial wall for many generations to come.