Updated Progress
~ Article from Cold Spring Record (FEBRUARY 14, 2023)
OFFICER DOWN PODCAST INVESTIGATES DECKER KILLING. MEMORIAL STILL NEEDS $1,500 TO REACH GOAL.
By Chuck Waletzko, Memorial Project Volunteer
For more than ten years, the Decker family and the citizens of central Minnesota have been hungry for more details on how Officer Tom Decker was killed in the line of duty on November 29th, 2012. A riveting, investigative podcast called The Officer Down Memorial Podcast has now shed light on this tragic mystery. With actual 9-1-1 audio, interviews with the key players and intensive examination of the facts of this case bring new light to Officer Decker’s tragic death.
According to their website, their mission is, “In each episode of the Officer Down Memorial Podcast, Sheriff Scott Rose shares the stories of how these men and women heroically lost their lives in the Line of Duty.
This podcast will give you a glimpse of what law enforcement officers and their families go through every day to help keep our communities safe. These stories take you back in time to the era and the community where we lost these heroes. You’ll feel like you were there when we lost this officer. These stories are real and raw. Our mission is to ensure their sacrifice is never forgotten, and to show how our men and women who serve in law enforcement are true heroes every day they put on the badge.
These podcasts are produced in a story telling format sharing these officer’s stories based on input from the men and women who served with them and the families who were left behind. Older stories are written using historical documents and newspaper records. The goal of this program is to honor these fallen heroes, to remember their service, to always support the families they left behind, and to never forget their sacrifice.”
Go to: https://officerdownmemorialpodcast.libsyn.com/the-tommy-decker-story to gain access to this amazing podcast about Officer Decker’s final hours.
The enthusiasm and momentum from the commemoration allowed us to reach $69,500. The original $60,000 fundraising goal reflected the bronze statues of the police officer and the little boy at two-thirds life-size. We did this for budgetary purposes. Now having raised $69,500, we are in reach of the $71,000 bronze statues at life-size. The life-sized statues will make the memorial significantly more impressive and dramatic.
That leaves us just $1,500 left to raise for the Officer Tom Decker Minnesota Law Enforcement Memorial that will proudly stand in the town of Cold Spring for centuries to come. All donors will have their names written on a paper scroll which will be deposited into the bronze statue of the policeman like a time capsule. This is the opportunity for you and your family to be part of this amazing legacy. To donate, go to GoFundMe and search “Cold Spring Police Memorial” in the search bar, or if you prefer checks, they can be made out to “Cold Spring Police Memorial” and sent to Granite Bank at PO Box 416, Cold Spring, MN 56320. Help us reach this final goal and have your family be part of this great cause.
Governor Walz Letter for Tom Decker:
Watch the news coverage on:
ABC Eyewitness News/Channel 5:
Kare11:
For our GoFundMe, visit:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-officer-decker-cold-spring-police-memorial
Checks can be sent to:
Granite Bank at PO Box 416, Cold Spring, MN 56320