The Colorado Law Enforcement Memorial (CLEM) is located at Camp George West in Golden, on the grounds of the Colorado Law Enforcement Training Academy.  The CLEM Committee is made up of representatives from various law enforcement associations from around the state. 

Click here for BIOGRAPHIES of Colorado Fallen Heroes

The original committee members (and the group they represented) were as follows:
Ted Rosack, Chair – FBI
Harold Bray, Co-Chair – Colorado Sheriff’s Assn
Russ Colling – Metropolitan Law Enforcement Officers Assn
Don Jarvis – Colorado Chiefs’ of Police Assoc. & Regional Law Enforcement Assn.
John Mayo – Colo. Law Enforcement Officers Assn & South Central Colo. Law Enforcement Officers Assn
Leroy Yowell – High Plains Peace Officers Assn
Ken Shiflet – Northeastern Colo. Peace Officers Assn
Scot McGinniss – Northwestern Colo. Peace Officers Assn
Paul Quinn – Colorado Criminal Justice Division
Mrs. Ruth Regan and Mrs. N. Jan Barnell were the administrative staff.

The RPOC became part of the CLEM Committee in 1992 and has been a strong supporter ever since.  The RPOC holds close to its heart the design, maintenance care, and annual ceremony honoring our fallen officers at the Colorado Law Enforcement Memorial. The history of the Memorial is summarized below.

Memorial History Timeline:

June 14, 1978 – SAC Ted Rosack (FBI Denver) sends letters to all the Chiefs and Sheriffs in Colorado to determine interest in a Colorado Memorial to honor law enforcement line of duty deaths.  The response was overwhelming favorable.

August 29, 1978 – First meeting of the Memorial Committee was held.  The Committee was made up of one representative from each of the then-existing Law Enforcement Associations in Colorado.  After input from all those in attendance, a vote was taken and CLETA (Colorado Law Enforcement Training Academy) at Camp George West was unanimously agreed upon as the most desirable location.  An annual memorial service was recommended.  The definition of a Peace Officer in the State of Colorado was obtained.  It was agreed that only bona-fide law enforcement officers who were killed in the performance of constituted duties should be included on this Memorial.  The Committee maintains this requirement.

October 10, 1978 – Roy Erickson, of Erickson Monuments, brought in a drawing depicting a blue/gray granite memorial, seven feet high, five feet wide and one foot thick.  The estimated cost of this stone was between $2,500 and $3,500 at the time.  Approval was received for the location of the Memorial to be just east of the entrance to CLETA.  The wording, “With respect and admiration, we remember these Colorado law enforcement officers who gave their lives in the line of duty,” was approved to be on the stone.  There was also considerable discussion regarding the definition of Law Enforcement Officers.  It was agreed that all officers must be full-time and acting in the line of duty.  The consensus of the Committee was that each name offered for consideration must be approved individually.

October 31, 1978 – A letter was sent to all Chiefs and Sheriffs in the State advising of progress on the Memorial and stating that considerable financial support had been received from the business sector.

November 15, 1978 – A revised drawing of the memorial was viewed and by a unanimous vote the Committee agreed to specify ‘steel’ surface on the memorial stone.  It was also decided no religious symbol of any type be included on the memorial.  The Colorado Building Trade Council and the Cement Masons Joint Apprenticeship and Training Group agree to do the cement work.  One cement company would donate necessary material.  A letter was then sent to all Colorado Law Enforcement Agencies asking for the names of their Law Enforcement Officers who lost their lives in the line of duty since Colorado statehood was granted in August of 1876.

January 3, 1979 – After considerable work and review, 105 names were approved for the Memorial at its dedication May 1, 1979.  The ‘Seal of the State of Colorado’ was authorized on the monument.  It was also determined that Federal Law Enforcement Officers (based in Colorado) would also be included on the Memorial.

May 1, 1979 – The Dedication and Memorial Service was a proud moment for the members of the Committee who had worked so hard to make the Memorial possible.  The names spanned the period 1881 through 1979.

Guidelines were established for inclusion of officers on the Memorial.  There have been decisions made which have not always been popular, but the committee thoroughly discusses all matters and observes the guidelines, particularly that which pertains to, “In the Line of Duty.”  To do anything less would seriously jeopardize the true meaning of this Memorial, to honor those officers who were killed in the line of duty serving the great State of Colorado.

1986 – The Memorial was unselfishly funded from its inception to 1986 by Shirley Brown of SLB, Inc.  Ted Rosack retired from the FBI in 1979 and remained on the Committee as founder.  He was directly responsible for raising the funds necessary to purchase the wings.

1997 – The subject of historic deaths was addressed and it was subsequently decided to reconsider those deaths which, in most cases, had been forgotten by their department or, involved part-time or reserve officers.  The committee approved the addition of “wings” to the original memorial with the left wing designated for historic deaths and installed for the 1999 ceremony.

1998 – Senate Joint Resolution 98-014, passed, stating:  “That the Colorado Law Enforcement Memorial located on the grounds of the training academy at Camp George West be declared as the official memorial recognizing all law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty in Colorado.”

2002 – The reflective pool was built and donated to the Memorial site.

2010 – The Committee approved going back to the date Colorado became a Territory, February 28, 1861, to allow officers that died prior to Statehood be considered.  Colorado’s borders remain the same as our territorial borders.  Six names are now on the Memorial from that time period.

2015 – As part of a larger plan to update and improve the Memorial, the right wing was installed and the Memorial was re-faced with polished ‘Colorado Rose’ Granite from Lyons, CO.  All the names were re-engraved, and placed in a ‘random’ manner on the stone.  A fund raising committee was established and efforts were begun to commission a statue and redesign the Memorial grounds.

2017 – The three year project to redesign, and improve, the Memorial was completed.  Central to this improvement was a bronze statue that greets visitors as they walk into the Memorial and low walls that surround them and provide a separation from the remainder of the Academy grounds.  Granite pavers reflect the memories of loved ones, support for the law enforcement community, and recognize those that made the improvements through their donations.  Dedicated on April 21, the Memorial is now reflective of the sacrifice given by the men and women whose names are shown on the Memorial Granite Pavers.  There are 312 officers being honored on the Memorial as of May 4, 2018.

Memorial Statistics after the 2018 ceremony – By Keith Dameron, Historian

We now have 312 names on the Colorado Law Enforcement Memorial (as of May 4, 2018).  Below is some of the statistical data, for those that might be interested.

One hundred eighty one of the officers were working for fifty-eight cities or towns.

Denver PD has 66 names on the Memorial.  Other cities as follows:  Pueblo 13, Colorado Springs 12, Leadville 7, Boulder 6, Aurora 5, Cripple Creek 4, Las Animas 3, and Rocky Ford 3.  The following cities have two names listed: Alamosa, Arvada, Buena Vista, Delta, Fort Collins, Fort Morgan, Greeley, Monte Vista, Montrose, Salida, Trinidad, Victor and Walsenburg.

Thirty-six cities or towns (some no longer exist) have one name each.  Black Hawk, Brighton, Castle Rock, Center, Coal Creek, Como, Cortez, Durango, Englewood, Estes Park, Evans, Federal Heights, Firestone, Fountain, Fruita, Glendale, Goldfield, Hotchkiss, Kokomo, Lakewood, Lamar, Limon, Louisville, Loveland, Mancos, Manitou Springs ,New Castle, Northglenn, Oak Creek, Paonia, Rico, Silverton, Steamboat Springs, Telluride, Vail and Virginia City (aka: Tin Cup).

Seventy-seven officers are listed from thirty-eight Colorado Counties.  Jefferson and Las Animas Counties have the most with 6 names each.  Followed by Adams 4, Denver SO 4, Larimer 4, Pueblo 4, Washington 3, Arapahoe 3, Douglas 3.  The following counties have two names listed: Costilla, Eagle, El Paso, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Huerfano, La Plata, Mesa, Routt, Summit and Weld.  Eighteen counties have one name each.  Bent, Boulder, Clear Creek, Delta, Elbert, Fremont, Garfield, Gilpin, Kiowa, Lake, Lincoln, Logan, Montezuma, Otero, Park, Rio Grande, San Juan and Teller.

Thirty-two State officers are listed.  Twenty-eight from the Colorado State Patrol, two from the Division of Wildlife, one from the Colorado Rangers and one from the State Prohibition agency.

One Campus police officer – Univ. of Colorado/Colorado Springs (UC/CS).

Fifteen federal officers from the following agencies; National Park Service 3, US Secret Service 3, FBI 2, BIA (Ute Mtn. Tribal Police) 2, US Treasury 2, US Postal Service (OIG) 1, Dept. of Justice 1, and US Federal Reserve Bank 1.

Six Railroad Police officers complete the total of 312 names.  Union Pacific 3, AT&SF 2 & Rio Grande 1.

The three hundred and twelve deaths came from the following causes:

Felonious shootings 193, Felonious assaults 7, Motor vehicle collisions 33, Motorcycle collisions 11, Vehicle/Pedestrian collisions 17, Accidental and mistaken shootings 16, Heart attacks 12, Aircraft crashes 5, Drownings 4, and other accidents (falls, electrocution, train crash, lightning, major fires, etc.) 14.

For any questions, or additional info, on the above please contact Keith Dameron, Historian; Colorado Law Enforcement Memorial.  He can be reached at:  Keith1707@comcast.net

The CLEM Committee is currently comprised of the following groups:
Colorado Assoc. of Chiefs of Police
County Sheriffs of Colorado
Federal Agencies
High Plains Peace Officers Assoc.
Northeast Colorado Peace Officers Assoc.
Western Colorado Peace Officers Assoc.
Retired Peace Officers of Colorado (RPOC)
FBI National Academy Associates
Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS) – Colorado Chapter
International Police Assoc. (Region 17)
Southeastern Colorado Law Enforcement Assoc.
Fraternal Order of Police (Colorado Lodge)
Colorado Honor Guard Assoc.
Brotherhood of the Fallen
Colorado Fallen Hero Foundation

Two ex-officio members are the CSP Academy Liaison and the Committee Historian.