GEORGETOWN, Del. - Work began on the reinstallation of two Georgetown police memorials on The Circle after both were damaged in separate car crashes.
The memorial honoring fallen Patrolman Chad Spicer was hit in November 2023, and the memorial honoring former Police Chief Harvey Gregg was hit in July 2024. The damage from both car crashes totaled more than $114,000.
Georgetown Town Manager Gene Dvornick said the placement of the new memorials was recommended by the Circle Advisory Committee, which was formed shortly after there was extensive damage to both monuments.
"The committee came up with recommendations on various things, not only to improve pedestrian safety around the circle, but also on how best to place or relocate monuments," Dvornick explained.
Dvornick added that the memorials will be placed deeper into The Circle and farther off the road.
"I think, number one, it's important that they come back to the circle. I think number two, the whole process with the Circle Advisory Committee, it was a great cooperation by residents, stakeholders with the monuments, and also DelDOT helped us a lot with adding. They did a light study, identified where the darkest spots coming into the circle were," Dvornick said.
Patrolman Chad Spicer was killed in the line of duty in 2009, and former Police Chief Harvey Gregg passed away in 1998. Both memorials will be placed across from each other.
Joseph Pope said he hopes the new location will provide protection for the memorials.
"I knew eventually somebody was going to hit them," Pope said. "Hopefully they'll put it in a nice place, and it'll be protected this time."
Dvornick described the work that will follow the excavation.
"Once the diggings are completed, the foundations will be poured, and it's about a 30-day curing period for the concrete. Once that's cured, the monuments will be brought in and placed," Dvornick said.
This portion of the project is being funded through a $30,000 appropriation in the town's bond bill.
"Following the replacement of the monuments, the next major phase... is the actual crash protection to protect the circle and the monuments on the inside," Dvornick added.
"We've had nobody come in at a diagonal. So we'll be reinforcing the four entrances, which are where most of the vehicles come in," he explained.
Dvornick said the work should be completed from mid- to late August.
