Quick Links
2021 Peace Officer Memorial Ceremony
We invite you to join us for the 2021 Peace Officer Memorial Ceremony when State of Iowa leadership, law enforcement partners and families will honor and pay tribute to fallen peace officers who gave the ultimate sacrifice while serving. We stand steadfast in remembering the brave men and women of law enforcement who died in the line of duty protecting Iowans and their communities.
SPECIAL GUESTS: Governor Reynolds, Lt. Governor Adam Gregg, DPS Commissioner Stephan Bayens
Friday, May 7, 2021
10:00 a.m.
Peace Officer Memorial Site
Grounds East of Oran Pape State Office Building
215 East 7th Street, Des Moines, Iowa
(Rain Location State Capitol - 1st Floor Rotunda)
2021 Honorees
LYON COUNTY DEPUTY STEPHANIE J. SCHREURS
On the early morning of August 9, 2019, Deputy Stephanie Schreurs responded to a rural call for service. The 24-year veteran of the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office had just resumed her patrol duties and was traveling northbound on highway K-52 when she lost control of her SUV navigating a sharp curve near Harrison Avenue. Her vehicle left the roadway and rolled several times. Deputy Schreurs was flown to a hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where she never regained consciousness. Four days later on August 13, she passed away from her injuries.
CHICAGO AND NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY SPECIAL OFFICER JOHN H. BOUSMAN
On the evening of August 10, 1922, Special Officer John Harrison Bousman was guarding a large drawbridge in the Chicago and Northwestern railyards near Clinton. At approximately 9:00 p.m., while making his rounds, Bousman was fatally struck by an approaching train. He was discovered near the tracks that next morning.
The Peace Officer Memorial is fronted by a stone which explains the artist's conception of the elements of the memorial. The stone reads:
The three outer forms represent the three levels of law enforcement in Iowa.
The equal spacing represents the equal sharing of responsibility.
The circles represent the cooperation and fraternity between agencies and departments.
The three gray paths to the center represent the agencies and departments uniting to serve, sacrifice, and mourn.The center pinnacle represents the service, dedication, and sacrifice shared by each peace officer.
The top of each outer form represents the aim of each peace officer with the goal being just short of the ultimate act of giving one's life, which is represented by the top of the center pinnacle.
- Designed by C. Richard Webb
The memorial stone also lists the committee members who planned and organized the development and dedication of the memorial. Those members include: the Honorable Terry E. Branstad, Governor of Iowa, the Honorable Lee Holt, State Senator, Adrian D. Anderson, Raymond K. Baker, Glenn F. Brockett, Cindy Hill-Collier, George S. Mills, Gene W. Shepard, and Connie A. White.
Supplementing the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial are two plaques which are on display at the Iowa Department of Public Safety in the Oran Pape Office Building located at 215 East 7th Street, Des Moines, Iowa. One plaque recognizes each Iowa peace officer who has died in the line of duty, and the other recognizes Iowans who have died while engaged in law enforcement or closely-related functions, but who were not peace officers.
NOMINATION CRITERIA
All submissions will be reviewed by the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial Committee, which is comprised of representatives from the Iowa State Sheriffs' and Deputies' Association, Iowa State Police Association, Iowa Law Enforcement Academy, and the Iowa Department of Public Safety to ensure all criteria for inclusion are met.
CLICK HERE FOR NOMINATION CRITERIA
NOMINATION REQUIREMENTS
Nominations may be made by an Iowa law enforcement agency. Only officers whose deaths occur in a line-of-duty incident will be considered.
Nominations must be made in writing and should include:
1. Photograph of the victim officer (if a photo is not available, please submit the completed form).
2. Death certificate and/or coroner's report.
3. Initial police/incident report.
4. Copy of victim officer's sworn officer certificate.
5. Copies of news articles regarding of the incident/death.
All nominations must be submitted on this form provided on this site. CLICK HERE FOR NOMINATION FORM
Please submit nominations to:
Attention: Sergeant Alex Dinkla
Public Information Officer
Iowa Department of Public Safety
Office of the Commissioner
E-Mail: Peace Officer Memorial
Phone: 515.725.6189