Fox 4 reports that police are looking for thieves who removed a display of blue LED lights that was part of a law enforcement memorial. It happened at the St. Joseph Civic Plaza, next to City Hall.
The memorial pays tribute to 17 law enforcement officers in Buchanan County who gave their lives in the line of duty.
Every year St. Joseph honors those fallen officers and their families in a ceremony. For this year’s event, the Fraternal Order of Police added a string of blue LED lights around the memorial, to symbolize the thin blue line of protection police provide, which separates good from evil.
Photos show how impressive the lights made the memorial look, particularly at night.
Sometime over the weekend, thieves took those lights, and police here believe there’s a message behind it.
“The thin blue line is symbolism that they recognize,” said Mike Hardin, FOP Lodge 3 president. “They knew it stood for law enforcement. But the fact that they would desecrate this memorial, it’s unfortunate. For us this is hallowed ground. This is like a cemetery for us basically. It’s more than just theft.”