Pasco To Begin Building Memorial To Fallen Law Enforcement

PASCO COUNTY, FL — During the month of November, Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s five offices highlighted the Pasco Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Memorial as the Charity of the Month.

During the campaign, which began before the pandemic and was rescheduled for November, a total of $8,727.38 was raised by the Pasco Tax Collector’s Office for this memorial.

Each year Pasco County holds a memorial service to honor law enforcement officers who were killed in the line of duty. However, Pasco County is the only county in Florida without a permanent memorial that can be visited year-round.

Courtesy Pasco Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

Local attorney Craig LaPorte is heading the drive to raise funds to build a memorial and asked Fasano to assist in bringing the project to the finish line.

At the check presentation held in December, Fasano and members of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office were joined by Bob George and members of Pasco’s Back the Blue, an organization created to help support law enforcement officers. Together they presented the check from the tax collector’s office as well as a check raised by the members of Pasco’s Back the Blue to LaPorte and representatives from the Pasco Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

“On behalf of the board of directors of the Pasco County Fallen Law Enforcement Officer Memorial and Benefit Foundation, we want to extend our sincerest thanks to Mike Fasano and his entire staff for making our foundation the beneficiary of the Pasco County Tax Collector Charities,” said LaPorte. “He was kind enough to select us for the April 2020 Charity of the Month, but unfortunately as COVID-19 jumped into our lives, he was forced to close in-person office visits for a time. So, in order to help us realize our goal of constructing a permanent memorial to Pasco’s fallen law enforcement heroes, he put us back on his queue for November. Thanks to the generosity of Pasco’s citizens and Mr. Fasano and his charity, we raised enough funds to put us over the top. As a result, we are now in the process of the final stages leading to the construction of the memorial in front of the Pasco County Historic Courthouse in Dade City.”

“It has been such an honor to work with the fine men and women of our law enforcement community to help raise the funds that will help construct this long-needed memorial,” comments Tax Collector Mike Fasano. “For any one law enforcement officer to die in the line of duty is one too many. Unfortunately, many good officers have been killed in Pasco over the years. This memorial will honor their sacrifice and the good work they did protecting our county from lawbreakers of every sort. A very generous community stepped up to show their support for the members of our law enforcement agencies. Thank you.”

For more details regarding charitable promotions or services provided by the Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office, contact Greg Giordano, assistant tax collector for communications & special projects at 727-847-8179 or visit www.pascotaxes.com

For more information about the Pasco Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and how residents can support its efforts, contact LaPorte at 727-863-1553.

For more information on Pasco’s Back the Blue, reach out to George at https://www.facebook.com/Pasco-Backs-the-Blue-Rally-101381268352791/

This press release was produced by Pasco County Tax Collector. The views expressed here are the author's own.