The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department will hold its annual Peace Officers Memorial Day Service on Monday. The department and other police agencies from the area will be joined by the Fraternal Order of Police, Blossomland Lodge 100 at noon at the Berrien County Law Enforcement Officer’s Monument in Lake Bluff Park in St. Joseph for the ceremony. They will honor 20 police officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. 17 of them are listed on the monument with the other three being former long-time members of the Berrien County community. The event is open to the public. The sheriff’s department says Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week is an observance in the United States that pays tribute to the local, state, and federal peace officers who have died, or who have been disabled, in the line of duty. It’s celebrated the week of May 15th of each year.
OFFICERS TO BE HONORED:
PATROLMAN CLARENCE SHOCKLEY Niles City Police Department August 15, 1907
TROOPER WILLIAM MARTZ Michigan State Police Paw Paw Post March 12, 1925
PATROLMAN FRANCIS LAMUNION Saint Joseph City Police Department June 23, 1927
PATROLMAN CHARLES SKELLEY Saint Joseph City Police Department December 14, 1929
PATROLMAN VANCE COOPER Niles City Police Department March 4, 1937
DEPUTY ELTON STOVER Berrien County Sheriff Department December 10, 1965
SERGEANT ROBERT STEVENS Benton Township Police Department April 29, 1970
TROOPER CHARLES STARK Michigan State Police New Buffalo Post December 31, 1971
TROOPER GARY RAMPY Michigan State Police New Buffalo Post December 31, 1971
TROOPER STEVEN DEVRIES Michigan State Police Niles Post October 12, 1972
DETECTIVE/CAPTAIN PAUL WINQUIST Niles City Police Department November 11, 1980
TROOPER ALLAN PETERSON Michigan State Police Saint Joseph Post August 29, 1981
TROOPER ROBERT MIHALIK Michigan State Police Saint Joseph Post September 9, 1984
PATROLMAN DONALD DEFORD Lincoln Township Police Department March 14, 1988
CHIEF KEITH MILLS Saint Joseph Township Police Department October 18, 1988
COURT SECURITY SUPERVISOR JOSEPH ZANGARO Berrien County Trial Court July 11, 2016
COURT OFFICER RONALD KIENZLE Berrien County Trial Court July 11, 2016
Former residents serving outside of the area
OFFICER ROBERT POLMANTEER Phoenix Police Department May 4, 1984
SERGEANT JAMES FARAONE Salt Lake City Police Department September, 18, 2001
SPECIAL AGENT PAUL SORCE Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Michigan March 9, 2009
