Clayton, North Carolina: Policeman-Ghost Made of Rocks

This memorial to fallen police officers is a lot bigger than I thought it would be. I don't know if you're able to go indoors to see the concave side of it, especially with Covid restrictions, but we got there after hours so we couldn't even try.

Notes from the architects and artists: The "rocks" are water-jet bluestone slate stacked to configure a larger-than-life Clayton Police Officer. The memorial is adjacent to the police department's roll-call meeting room where officers meet each morning to discuss cases and get their assignments. The sculpture is a representation of that officer stepping out into the community to protect and serve. Inside the building the inverse of the figure is found, creating a void where the officer had been. Adjacent to the void are the names of the officers no longer a part of the community.

The memorial thereby creates two distinct spaces: one for public commemoration and one for private contemplation.

The sculpture is called "Cornerstones," and was designed and built by Christian Karkow with Clearscapes, based in Raleigh, North Carolina.

A memorial at the town's new police station is dedicated to officers who were killed in the line of duty. It's made from slabs of slate, pushed out to form a larger-than-life police officer exiting the building. Inside is a relief of the same shape, representing the void that's left behind when an officer is killed. Also inside are the names of three Clayton police officers who died in the line of duty.