Although initially authorized in 1994, this memorial did not receive an appropriation ($500,000) from the General Assembly until 2003. Its 45-foot diameter makes it the largest on the grounds. It originally included the names of the 308 law enforcement officers recorded as killed on duty since 1797, although more names are added each year.
Its focal point is a pillar crowned by a bald eagle with the inscription “Lest We Forget: Dedicated to the Men and Women Who Helped Preserve Law and Order.” The memorial is bisected by a “thin blue line” of glass bricks, crafted by local company One Eared Cow Glass, symbolizing the role law enforcement plays in protecting civilization from chaos.
This memorial and the South Carolina Armed Forces Monument were the final two monuments added to the State House grounds before the General Assembly proclaimed the site “full” in 2005 and placed a moratorium on future monument construction.
