Kansas Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

Advisory Committee Meeting
April 11 , 2003, 10:00 a.m.
Location: Kansas Highway Patrol Training Academy
Salina, Kansas

Present at the April 11, 2003 meeting were committee members: Chairman Bill Miskell, Department of Corrections; Chuck Sexson, KBI; Kenneth Roy, Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police; Sergeant J. L. Riedel, Kansas State Troopers’ Association; Janet Harrington, Kansas Sheriffs’ Association; Director Ed Pavey, Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center; Tom Williams, Attorney General’s Office; and Matt Veatch, Kansas Historical Society. Others attendees: Marilyn Goodheart, Kansas COPS; Rick Affholder, Kansas Highway Patrol; Richard Schroeder, Allied Inc.; and Keith Dreiling, Kansas State Troopers’ Association.

Introductions
Chairman Miskell called the meeting to order and introduced new committee member Tom Williams of the Attorney General’s Office.

Approval of Minutes
Mr. Veatch distributed minutes of the March 14, 2003 meeting. Director Pavey moved approval of the minutes as submitted, Mr. Roy seconded, and the motion carried.

Treasurer’s Report
Mr. Veatch distributed the treasurer’s report. He commented that the $2050 of donations for memorial restoration and expansion needed to be transferred from the state account to the Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation bank account. Chairman Miskell suggested that the committee should pass a motion on the issue. Director Pavey moved that $2050 in donations for memorial repair and expansion currently in the Law Enforcement Memorial account at the Historical Society be transferred to the Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation account at Commerce Bank. Sergeant Riedel seconded the motion and it was approved unanimously.

Mr. Roy moved approval of the treasurer’s report as submitted, Mr. Sexson seconded, and the motion was approved.

2003 Memorial Ceremony preparations
Chairman Miskell reminded committee members that the memorial ceremony was scheduled for 12 noon on Friday, May 9, 2003 on the south steps of the Capitol. He reported that the statehouse grounds had been reserved; that Governor Sebelius and Attorney General Kline planned to attend the ceremony; that the Highway Patrol would be transmitting teletypes to law enforcement departments across the state; and that the Topeka Police Department was coordinating the honor guards. He also stated that the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate would receive invitations to sit on the steps during the ceremony.

Mr. Sexson and Mr. Veatch confirmed that five names would be added to the memorial:

· Frank Blizard, Sheriff, Elk County, died 12/30/1920
· Albert H. Erdman, City Marshal, Longton, Elk County, died 2/28/1933
· Frank Hill, Deputy, Sedgwick County, died 8/16/1927
· Vernon E. Ogden, Police Officer, Wichita, Sedgwick County, died 7/5/1927
· James E. Roberts Deputy Marshal, Dunlap, Morris County, died, 5/12/1900

Mr. Veatch stated that he had prepared circumstances of death descriptions for all but Vernon E. Ogden and that he would email the descriptions to Chairman Miskell for inclusions in the ceremony program. Mr. Sexson said that he would prepare the circumstances of death description for Officer Ogden.

Mr. Sexson observed that he and Mr. Veatch were in the process of updating the printed list of names included on the memorial that was displayed in the rotunda in several frames at last year’s ceremony. Chairman Miskell commented that he had not been satisfied with the wood carving highlighting the names of the new additions to the memorial last year and that he would coordinate a more suitable acknowledgment of the new additions for this year’s ceremony.

Mr. Sexson and Ms. Goodheart reported that preparations were going smoothly for the pre-ceremony reception to be held at 11:00 am in the 2nd floor rotunda. Mr. Sexson stated that he planned to end the reception at 11:45 and that all reception attendees except those designated to sit on the steps would be asked to exit the capitol from the first floor. Director Pavey suggested that the chairs on the south steps be labeled to reduce the confusion about where people are supposed to sit during the ceremony. Committee members thought this was a good idea.

Potential Additions to the Memorial - 2004
Sheriff Harrington reported on some of the research she had been performing on potential additions to the memorial. She observed that she had nearly completed her research on Guy Brittain, William Cody, and Frank J. Hunt. She also asked about the status of Jesse Dennis, a member of a posse who was killed in 1866 in Nemaha County. She observed that several officers already on the memorial had been killed while serving as members of a posse. Mr. Sexson and Mr. Veatch indicated that there was no evidence to prove that Dennis had actually been deputized. Mr. Sexson said he had spoken to Nemaha County officials but had not found any additional information on Dennis.

The meeting adjourned at 11:00 a.m.

Next meeting: May 9, 2002, 1:30 pm, Kansas Highway Patrol Headquarters, Topeka