There are also places in Dortmund that remind people of our colleagues who were killed. Two streets have been named after them and a memorial stone has been erected.
The Hans-Wilhelm-Hansen-Weg is located in Lücklemberg and commemorates the 26-year-old police officer Hans-Wilhelm Hansen. He was shot dead by political activists of the RAF in the Löttringhauser Forest on September 24, 1978, when he came across them by chance on foot patrol during shooting practice.
Since 2016, the Thomas-Goretzky-Weg in the eastern part of the city center has commemorated 35-year-old police commissioner Thomas Goretzky. He was killed on 14.06.2000 during a traffic stop in Dortmund-Brackel by a right-wing extremist individual.
At the scene of the crime on Unterer Graffweg, there is also this memorial stone bearing his name. This was initiated by the "Geschichtswerkstatt Dortmund" (a registered cultural association) after the event. The stone stands on private land. The city of Dortmund has officially cataloged it as a memorial.
Colleague Nicole Hartmann survived seriously injured at the time. The same perpetrator killed police sergeant Matthias Larisch von Woitowitz and senior police officer Ivonne Hachtkemper from the Recklinghausen PP in Waltrop as part of the ring alert that was immediately triggered. Anyone traveling from Dortmund to the LAFP often passes this crime scene, which is located at the intersection of Oberlipper Straße and Borker Straße. Efforts are currently underway at the LAFP to install a visible memorial at this location as well.
Unfortunately, two other colleagues from our agency lost their lives in the line of duty. That is why we also remember these two every year:
Police sergeant Heiko Emmerich, 33 years old was hit and killed by a vehicle on the federal highway 45 near Westhofener Kreuz on 01.07.2001.
Police sergeant Benjamin Brekau, 27 years old was fatally injured in a traffic accident on 11.06.2007 in Rostock during an operation of the task force.
There is now an official worldwide day of remembrance to commemorate police officers who have been killed. On the initiative of Interpol, this "International Day of Remembrance for Fallen Officers" was set for March 7th. The IM NRW joined this day by decree and calls on the authorities to hold a minute's silence at 10:00 a.m. on this day under the following motto:
"We remember the police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty and also think of the relatives who miss these loved ones."
Nonetheless, for many of us, June 14 will remain inextricably linked to our agency.
The deceased will always remain in our memories.