Here's how Waukesha wants to honor city police and firefighters who have died in the line of duty
WAUKESHA - For 29 years, a particular moment in time has weighed heavily on the Waukesha Police Department.
This year, the anniversary of the death of Waukesha Police Cpt. James Lutz carries an additional appropriate and related purpose: to publicize the city's efforts to create a memorial recognizing local officers and firefighters who have lost their lives in the performance of their duty.
"This memorial will be a permanent reminder of their sacrifice and the sacrifice that their families and loved ones made for the City of Waukesha," city officials said in a post about the planned City of Waukesha Public Safety Memorial. "Their names will be permanently enshrined in this monument to ensure that the citizens of Waukesha remember their contributions to our beautiful city."
Throughout Waukesha's history, five police or firefighters have died in the line of duty
The memorial, which is already partially installed but under construction in front of the new Waukesha City Hall on Delafield Street, will carry the names of five public safety workers, dating as far back as 132 years:
Firefighter Albert Mavis, a seven-year veteran who died Sept. 22, 1891, in a fire wagon accident at age 26;
Firefighters Bernard McCaffery, 31, a six-year veteran, and Frank O'Brien, 52, a 28-year veteran, who both died May 11, 1934, in a fire truck accident;
Police detective George A. Schmidling, a six-year veteran who died June 11, 1961, in gunfire at age 33;
Lutz, the 29-year WPD veteran who died April 28, 1994, in gunfire at age 57.
WPD Lt. Kevin Rice, in a news release, noted that police, fire and city officials have worked for two years to create the memorial.
The fundraiser, through the Waukesha County Community Fund, includes the sale of personalized bricks for the plaza that will surround the display itself. Personalized benches are also planned. The materials can be ordered on the city's dedicated web page for the effort.
The memorial is expected to be dedicated Sept. 22. Bricks ordered through June 30 will be included in its construction.
James Lutz died while chasing armed robbers in 1994
To kick off the fundraising effort, the city chose the anniversary of Lutz's death, the most recent incident and perhaps the one with the highest profile.
Lutz, who has been credited with forming Waukesha's first SWAT team 38 years ago, was shot and killed in 1994 while chasing father-son crime duo James and Theodore Oswald following an armed bank robbery in Wales that spilled into northwest Waukesha, where their vehicle was spotted. Both were later convicted and retried after multiple appeals in Lutz's murder and more than a dozen criminal counts and are serving life sentences in prison.
Waukesha Police Lt. Jerry Habanek, hired just months before Lutz's death, still recalls the incident and the large presence of the man who gave his life.
"When I first met him he was the face of the department and took me to be sworn in as a police officer," Habanek said. "I later saw him as I was going through field training. He always had a kind word of encouragement to say," he added. "I remember him as a cop's cop, who would have been no where else except on the road hunting down the Oswalds on April 28, 1994. Captain Lutz loved his family and serving the citizens of Waukesha.
The city will again note the anniversary date of his death on Friday.
Contact Jim Riccioli at (262) 446-6635 or james.riccioli@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jariccioli.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Waukesha to honor Cpt. Jim Lutz, others who died in line of duty
