Franklin Co Sheriff’s Office Receives Memorial Grant

Franklin County Sheriff’s Office was recently awarded a grant from The Officer Down Memorial Page.

The grant will be used to help fund the Public Safety Memorial located on the Courthouse Square in Carnesville, according to Franklin County Sheriff Steve Thomas.

“The Officer Down Memorial Page’s (ODMP) Board of Directors is pleased to inform you that the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has been selected to receive an ODMP Memorial Grant in the amount of $1000.00. This grant is to be used for the restoration, repair, or expansion of a memorial that honors one or more fallen officers. On behalf of the entire ODMP Board of Directors, thank you for your dedication to honoring the fallen law enforcement officers. We share your passion for honoring fallen officers and are honored that we can assist in remembering your agency’s fallen,” Officer Down Memorial Page Founder and Executive Director Chris Cosgriff.

The Sheriff tells WLHR News Franklin County has had four officers that have died during the Line of Duty.

They include Franklin County Sheriff Dan Ayers in 1964, Royston Police Officer Hugh Rousey in 1981, Deputy Cruz Thomas in 2014, and Deputy Bill Garner in 2020.

The current Public Safety Memorial in Carnesville is part of the Memorial Plaza located on the grounds of the Franklin County Courthouse Square and is available for viewing and reflection anytime by the public.

The Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc. is the largest non-profit organization dedicated to honoring America’s fallen law enforcement officers in the country.

More than 25,000 officers have died in the line of duty in the United States since 1776 and ODMP works to preserve their memories and give friends, family, other officers, and citizens alike the opportunity to remember the fallen and honor their sacrifices.