Local law enforcement is searching for the vandals responsible for damaging the police memorial at Amann’s Reservoir over the weekend.
Galion police received a call in regards to the damaged memorial at 4:19 p.m. on Saturday. The vandalism coincides with Sunday as National Peace Officers Memorial Day, which kicks off the beginning of National Police Week.
Galion Police Chief Brian Saterfield said there are no leads on suspects who committed the crime.
“We have no leads yet,” Saterfield said.
Saterfield said the memorial was also damaged in 2014.
“The damage was different so we do not think the same suspects are responsible. No arrests were made in that incident,” Saterfield said.
Saterfield said he has been with the police department for 12 years and the monument was put in place at the reservoir many years before that.
“It is an FOP (Galion Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 71) monument but I do not know when it was put in place,” Saterfield said.
Saterfield said his department is grateful to Longstreth Memorials for cleaning the yellow, oil-based paint from the memorial.
“The memorial is back in place and looks great, like nothing ever happened,” Saterfield said.
Saterfield said he has received Facebook comments, emails and phone calls in support of local police and finding who is responsible for the damage to the monument.
A Facebook post on the Galion Police Department’s page highlights the outpouring of support from the community. It reads: “The outpouring of support from everyone has been overwhelming! Thank you to everyone that has offered to help get this despicable desecration cleaned up. Galion’s own Longstreth Memorials has stepped up and is in the process of restoring the memorial and are hopeful that it will be completed in the next couple of days.
We are continuing to ask for assistance in locating the culprits. Anyone with information can call the Galion Police Department, Crawford County Sheriff’s Office or the Morrow County Sheriff’s Office.”
The phone number for the Galion Police Department is 419-468-5255. To reach the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, call 419-562-7906.
