Repeated vandalism forces removal of Stockton firefighters memorial

STOCKTON — Looking at the barren slab where a monument to heroes once stood, Govind Swamy could only shake his head.

“I don’t know why people would vandalize something so precious,” he said. “These firefighters are the people who save our lives.”

And sometimes lose their own in the process. The statue that stood for nearly two decades near Weber Point was in honor of the 13 Stockton firefighters who have died in the line of duty since 1870.

But after repeated acts of vandalism and theft dating back two years, it was fellow firefighters themselves who chose to remove the statue this week, using a small crane to lift it aboard a trailer to be stored until more secure location can be found.

Problems at the site began in 2015 when someone stole a bronze inscription from the base of the monument. Then, last year, one of the plaques honoring the fallen firefighters disappeared, compelling firefighters to remove the other plaques as well.

Finally, last November, vandals spray-painted the face of one of the firefighters depicted in the statue.

Fearing far worse damage, the nonprofit Stockton Firefighters Relief Association decided to remove it entirely.

“Our biggest fear was that someone comes over there and cuts the nozzle off or cuts the head off for scrap value,” said Stockton fire Battalion Chief Jonathan Smith. “We didn’t want to see that happen.”

Not that there was any joy in seeing the statue wheeled away, either.

“It’s very disheartening,” Smith said. “To steal the plaques is one thing. To vandalize it was horrible. It’s like knocking over a gravestone in a cemetery. These people are out there risking their lives, they pay the ultimate sacrifice, and their statue is desecrated.”

The memorial was dedicated in 1998, more than a year after firefighters Brett Alan Laws and Bryan Jacob Golden died while trying to save an elderly woman who was trapped inside her home during a fire.

It was the first fire Golden ever fought, Smith said.

“It’s very personal for the group,” the battalion chief said. “We have people who went through the academy with Bryan Golden who are still on the job.”

To this day, the monument is the backdrop for promotional ceremonies and other get-togethers. Each year, after a crab feed, firefighters go to the memorial for a toast to their fallen brothers. And sometimes misty-eyed retirees show up to pay tribute.

It’s possible the statue could return to the site in the future with added protections in place, Smith said. Or it might be permanently relocated. The decision could be made in the next month or two.

In the meantime, the association — which is separate from the Fire Department itself, and is not funded by the city -- is attempting to raise money in anticipation of needed repairs. If you’d like to help, visit tinyurl.com/stocktonmonument.

Mark Chambers, 43, who passed by the vacant slab on Friday, was asked if he thought the vandals understood the significance of what they were doing, or if such an understanding would have made any difference.

“Nope,” he promptly said. “People don’t give a (expletive) nowadays. They just don’t care.”