Monterey County Sheriff’s memorial officially dedicated Friday

A dedication ceremony was held Friday morning for the new Monterey County Sheriff’s memorial.

The memorial is dedicated to eight officers who died in the line of duty. It took about a year to complete, and the hope is that it will be a place for the community to learn and reflect.

A vigil also was held Thursday night for the memorial.

More than just a memorial, the department plans to use this site to educate new officers during training.

“So as new employees come on, their supervisors will bring them out and we’ll have a real good discussion about the history of the department, the importance of officer safety,” said Monterey County Sheriff’s Memorial Committee board member Donna Myers.