A second reason to show Delaware’s video on the internet is that the lead organizer and inspiration for this State Memorial, Chief Kevin McDerby of the New Castle Police Department, a former Delaware State Trooper, would want it to be seen by as many people as is possible.  We’re sure Kevin is ever hopeful that by placing his video on our little website, and other places, that perhaps, at least some small additional number of concerned people will see it and may even travel to Dover and see this beautiful and peaceful Memorial in person.  Hopefully, a greater awarness by the public in general will work toward fewer law enforcement officers having to pay the ultimate price across the country.

Other reasons, by the hundreds, we suspect, that this video and others like it should be seen by the public, is that the survivors of fallen Law Enforcement Officers, their family, their partners, fellow department personnel, and regular citizens of, in this case, the whole State of Delaware, would want it shown.  We are proud to have been involved in this Memorial and we would be willing to assist again if needed.  But, we are glad that there is no mention in the video of our company name nor the company that produced that magnificent granite wall; we all were just workers.  Many people worked hard and donated so much to help build this Memorial, and many have been publically named and thanked, as they should have been, but our names, individually or as a company is not the point.  

Please, watch the entire production, it runs about 33 minutes, too long for youtube to carry as one video so we have broken it into three parts, this is the first part, just click on part 2 and 3 and sit back and watch and listen.  You’ll be impressed, we’re sure.  So, thank you for tuning in.

youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSc-5N7Y9xQ&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

Pull up the Part 3 and you’ll be moved all over again as you watch the parade of survivors approach the granite wall of names and place a rose at the wall, touch the name, an officer salutes and they are presented with a miniature replica and they walk away. 

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The kneeling officer and later the kneeling firefighter position and pose was first designed by officers from the San Bernardino, California, Police Department when a single patrolman took photos of a partner in that particular pose holding a folded American Flag and asked us to sculpt it in bronze.  They named it ”Call to Duty” and we have told them that we would credit their department for the many, many similar sculptures that we have done for departments across the country.  Thank you officers of San Bernardino, and we hope you guys stay safe.  We want you to know that we still carry an identical 2/3rds scale sculpture of your “Call to Duty” to shows around the country.  We will show it yet again as we travel to Salt Lake City in mid-August to participate in the FOP National Convention.  You’re all invited to attend, we mean officers from around the country, join the FOP if necessary, it’s a fine organization, we’re members, and we hope to see you there.

We have done other designs, of course, but this particular statue continues to stand out when a Memorial is needed.  View our simple video, and let us know what you think of our sculpture.  We’ve been in business now for more than 32 years, and we are humbled at your loyalty, thank you.  But of course, police and fire show up on most calls together, so we couldn’t have picked a better bunch of customers, we sell to one group and their buddies call, and in this case in particular, the customer IS ALWAYS RIGHT.  We agree.

Neil Brodin/Danielle Rodgers      

Click here to view the embedded video.

My Minneapolis Police Department has lost 44 officers in its history.  I knew the eight who died during my short 20 years on the job between 1969 and 1989; Officer Rich Miller, my training officer who I spent my very first night in the squad with, was shot and killed on August 25, 1981, he was 59 years old and close to retirement.  This subject is always difficult to talk about, but there may come a time when we decide to create a Memorial to their lives and careers.  Memorials are for the living as much as those who have passed, they are for the old-timers who remember walking beats, for the men and women who are working now and those who will put on the uniform some day, of course, memorials are for the survivors, the families.  I was in “rookie school” in 1969 when a juvenile officer in plain clothes, name of Richard Berquist, responded to a burglary in progress call and was shot to death on April 7th of that year; I, along with my 39 fellow rookies, still in school, attended our first officer’s funeral and said goodbye to a man we never met.  I remember it as if it were yesterday and it is now over 40 years ago.  There may come a time.

So, later, the thought comes, “We need to do something to help us remember.”  Brodin Studios has been involved in many, many Memorials, and so we have a perspective both from the inside of police work, and now from the outside.  We may be able to help, but it remains an unspeakable subject; we can’t even bring up the thought, it has to come from within, from your department, from you and your partners.  We all know that from history’s perspective, there have been many on-duty deaths and we all know too well that there’s the potential; it could happen to any of us on any call or traffic stop.  Visit, please, if you will, the video (in this section of the site) made by the Delaware State Memorial, and in it, Vice President Joe Biden gives a very moving speech as he pays his respects to the many names of the fallen on the granite walls behind, he wonders how it is that law enforcement officers everywhere seem to be different; he says what they do is counter-intuitive, they run in towards trouble when everybody else runs out.  As he speaks, the video is scrolling through the faces of the many officers, state troopers, men and women from the State of Delaware who were killed on duty.  There can’t be a dry eye anywhere within range of his voice. 

The fallen should never be forgotten!  So, how then, how does one create a Law Enforcement Memorial.  Brodin Studios has, in a way, unfortunately, been brought into that process when departments request information on bronzes that we’ve previously created in the past, most statues for projects other than Memorials, and asks us our opinion.  We’ve been there many times and worked through the early planning of a Memorial design, the fund-raising, and later the building of the sculpture and surrounding elements, but, at all times, we simply assist.  We’ve found that sending out photos of earlier Memorial designs helps and we know that putting the new department together with project organizers who have built their own Memorials is a very good thing.  And, we certainly have many names and phone numbers and we are happy to provide those to you so you can talk directly to those who have gone through the process. 

Chief Kevin McDerby would be a good person to call if you’re considering the start of a Memorial.  Kevin is formerly a Delaware State Trooper, now is Chief of Police in New Castle.  He is bashful about taking credit, but everyone will tell you he was instrumental and worked tirelessly in building the wonderful Memorial that you can see in the short slide-show video below.  There is also a longer DVD production that you might want to look for, it contains the Biden speech I mentioned above and the whole Delaware Memorial Ceremony, it’s an extremely emotional 33 minutes (we’ve broken it into three sections so you may view it on our website).  If you want a copy on DVD, we’ll make sure one is sent to you, give somebody a call.  

I found that even writing this introduction has been very difficult.  We’re very serious about this subject and so we were fearful to even bring up the subject in such a public manner as a website, but we guess the internet is just one more way that the world has changed.  But, as change might be true on the surface, we know that police work and its dangers can never change.  I’m smiling now as I was getting ready to sign off by telling you guys still working to be safe, because it made me think about that sergeant on Hill Street Blues, you remember, the TV show way back in time (we made a special little statue for him), what was his name?  He’d say it as he ended roll call, “Now, be careful out there.” /www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzmqkHC0YO0[/youtube]

While the memorial project has been an idea for years, it finally came to fruition in 2009/2010 and is a great representation of all those that have laid down their lives serving the citizens of Delaware. The memorial is composed of a black granite wall as the backdrop, that in addition to the Great Seal of Delaware, is inscribed with the names of 36 Delaware law enforcement officers known to have died in the line of duty since 1863.

The centerpiece is one of our life-size bronze statues of an officer positioned in our “Call to Duty” pose andfaces the granite wall. This kneeling pose, which depicts a grief-stricken reflection, is perhaps one of our most popular choices by law enforcement agencies. We find that it’s a natural pose. A man will naturally kneel down, and if he’s holding a flag or his hat, he’ll put his other hand to his forehead. It shows a man who is capable and respectful.”

The bronze statue was welded together from over 30 separately molded pieces, and the officer’s uniform was outfitted with a generic Delaware law enforcement shoulder patch, so as to represent all officers in the First State.

Below is a video that shares the construction and dedication of the Delaware Law Enforcement Memorial. You can also read the following article written by the Dover Post for more details.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.