CABOT — Since Sept. 7, 1899, five White County officers have died in the line of duty.
Lt. Jeff Langley of the White County Sheriff’s Department led the effort to erect a granite monument to honor those fallen officers of the county.
The dedication of the Law Enforcement Monument was Monday at the White County Law Enforcement Center in Searcy.
“It’s been something that’s been on my mind to do for a long time,” Langley said. “In January, I went to work on it and got a lot of interest in it.”
After Langley got approval from the White County Quorum Court to put the memorial at the Law Enforcement Center, he decided to try to fund the memorial with private donations.
“I raised half of the money needed just by talking to people,” Langley said. “We raised the rest through a fundraiser at [NorthStar EMS in Searcy].”
Langley said he looked at several monuments on the Internet to get an idea of what he wanted.
“It’s something I felt like every law enforcement agency or every county should have — a monument honoring those who have lost their lives in the line of duty,” Langley said. “The state has one, but I thought we should have one closer to home.”
The two granite stones display the names of the five fallen officers and a dedication that reads, “Dedicated to the honor of those brave officers who made the supreme sacrifice. They gave their lives for our well-being.”
“I’m very proud of it,” White County Sheriff Ricky Shourd said. “It is something this county has needed for many, many years. ... [Langley] took a lot of time on his own to get this done. I have to brag on him.”
The following White County officers who died in the line of duty are listed on the monument:
• Beebe City Marshal Joseph Hastings, who died Sept. 7, 1899;
• Beebe City Marshal Abe Isaac Pipkin, who died April 5, 1977;
• Higginson Officer Daniel Longstreet, who died March 14, 1997;
• Bald Knob Constable Jonathan C. Ziegler, who died March 19, 1998; and
• White County Sheriff’s Department Deputy George Griffin, who died June 21, 2005.