SALT LAKE CITY -- A quilt dedicated to police killed in the line of duty was put on display this week in Salt Lake City.
The memorial to law enforcement officers originally came with a tree that was purchased at the Festival of Trees, but the new owner felt it was too special to keep at home.
Linda Hardman of Taylorsville said she decided to donate that quilt to the Unified Police Department as a way to pay it forward, and the woman behind the research into the names on the quilt said memorials like this are an important reminder for civilians.
“I want the public to understand that these are all people with families,” said Margie Dean.
Dean said the idea for the quilt came to her as she thought about officers putting their lives on the line, sometimes even on calls that start out with something as seemingly simple as a traffic stop.
The quilt, which took about six months to make, will soon be hanging in the UPD’s lobby at 3365 South 900 West.