Police Graves Memorial Fund Announced
Deputy Premier and Minister for Police Minister, Peter Ryan announced the Victorian Government would establish a dedicated Police Graves Memorial Fund, to ensure the grave sites of officers killed in the line of duty were maintained.
Mr Ryan, who attended a National Police Remembrance Day march in Melbourne, said $50,000 State Government funding would ensure the graves of Victoria's 157 police officers who died in the line of duty would never again fall into disrepair.
"There are about six sites that require restoration and the Victorian Government has taken steps to ensure those who made the ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten," he said.
"It is a mark of respect to these members who died in uniform and a message to their families and the broader Victorian community that these officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice will always be remembered."
Mr Ryan said preliminary work had been undertaken to identify the grave sites requiring attention.
"The vast majority of graves of our 157 police officers who bravely lost their lives protecting others are currently lovingly maintained by relatives of the fallen," he said.
The Victorian Government will continue to work with the Police Association, the Blue Ribbon Foundation and the Police Historical Society, to ensure the restoration of police graves are a priority.