The Officer Decker Cold Spring Police Memorial

All donors to the memorial will have their names written on a paper scroll which will be deposited into the bronze statue of the policeman like a time capsule to recognize that your donation helped to make the legacy of this memorial possible for all time.

Ways to Give:

Checks made out to the “Cold Spring Police Memorial” can be sent to Granite Bank at PO Box 416, Cold Spring, MN 56320.

For more information on the Cold Spring Police Memorial project, visit our website at https://coldspringpolicememorial.com/

Media Coverage:

ABC Eyewitness News (JULY 14, 2022)

https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/new-memorial-in-the-works-for-officer-tom-decker-donations-needed/

Kare11 (AUGUST 5, 2022)

https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/kare11-sunrise/tom-decker-ten-year-anniversary-cold-spring-memorial/89-42406747-d786-4521-8aca-c38014e33820

StarTribune (SEPTEMBER 20, 2022)

https://www.startribune.com/a-decade-later-cold-spring-still-grapples-with-the-unsolved-slaying-of-officer-thomas-decker/600205611/?refresh=true

Our Peacekeeper’s Mission:

At a quiet country church cemetery in St. Nicholas, MN, lies the final resting place for Officer Tom Decker. This serene, peaceful setting starkly contrasts the violence that ended Officer Decker’s life ten years ago on November 29th, 2012. 

Responding to a welfare check at an apartment unit above Winner’s Bar, Officer Decker, a 31-year-old father of four, was ambushed and shot. Officer Decker made the ultimate sacrifice as a peacekeeper for the citizens of the greater Cold Spring community. He stands as an immortal representative of police officers everywhere. But, as Abraham Lincoln said at Gettysburg in 1863, he has given “the last full measure of devotion.”

Our Vision and Opportunity:

We wish to honor the entire Cold Spring Police Department for its dedication and sacrifice to our community. The design of this memorial was done in conjunction with the Decker family. When Officer Decker was a little boy, he got separated from his older sister and got lost at the Crossroads Shopping Center in St. Cloud, MN. A police officer consoled him, bought him an ice cream cone and waited with him until his sister and Tom were reunited. This watershed event is what Officer Decker often cited as why he always wanted to become a police officer. So it is now only fitting that this memorial dedicated to Officer Decker and all of the brave men and women of Minnesota Law Enforcement depicts a little boy with an ice cream cone being aided by a peace officer.

Our Campaign:

Our goal is to raise $60,000 to construct a lasting memorial honoring Officer Tom Decker and all law enforcement officers who serve to protect our community. We have received estimates that the cost of this memorial would be approximately $60,000: $25,000 for the granite foundation base, including installation, delivery, cement foundation and plaque, and $35,000 for the 4-foot bronze statue of the policeman and little boy.

To reach this goal, we will need many gifts, both large and small. Coldspring, Murphy Granite, Brodin Studios, W Gohman Construction, Sand Companies Inc and Donlar Construction have generously agreed to provide product and services that represents a $25,000 in-kind donation. This leaves $35,000 for us to raise as a community.

Conclusion:

The Cold Spring community has always generously honored and supported its law enforcement peace officers with great pride. It is fitting and proper to do this as we mark the tenth anniversary of Officer Tom Decker’s ultimate sacrifice. It will serve as a lasting tribute for generations to show that we honor their sacrifice and commitment. Thank you for your generous support.