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Comments:

When I first encountered this statue I read the names under the plaque and assumed it was about the children. I stopped thinking about it at that moment, but I eventually started to realize how weird and concerning that was. I eventually felt the urge to go take a photo of the statue in the middle of the night and realized that the police officer seemed to be creepily leering at the children when underlit. That impression did not go away during the day time. It took me a while to work up the courage or effort to look up the names under the plaque and I found two police officers who died in the line of duty since the town was founded incorporated 1887. The name Massie Morris is a strangely gender neutral name to use in the context of this statue if more than two police officers happened to have died in the line of duty in this town since it's incorporation. It definitely evokes the name of a young girl if not investigated or thought much about. The officers are mentioned on the odmp.org website. The website allows visitors to post reflections on the officers' pages. Each officer mentioned has exactly 10 reflections all from different areas of the country, none from Monrovia, CA. Only one reflection posted occurs on the date the officer died. It was posted by the same person, stating the same exact message. There is no way to browse officers randomly, only a "Today in History" option, listing the officers who died on the current date. I can find no other mention of Monrovia officers who have died in the line of duty online. The statue was dedicated in 2000 and the earliest reflection for both officers was posted by Ofcr. Dan Winger, LBCCPD, Ret. on June 3, 2004.

As of 02/08/2022 both officers have 10 reflections on their page, the first dated 06/03/2004 and the the most recent dated 10/05/2020 and 04/13/2020.

Officer Massie E. Morris

Officer Scott Vernon Smith

Updated 04/10/2023

The only fallen police officer commemorated for the city of Arcadia, CA, the next town to the West of Monrovia, CA. Is similarly strange. As of 04/10/2023 there are 10 reflections posted for Officer Albert Edward Matthies. Most of them are for random dates, rather than the date of the officer's death, as would otherwise be expected considering how the website is designed. The first reflection was also posted by Ofcr. Dan Winger, LBCCPD, Ret. posted on March 5, 2005.

Officer Albert Edward Matthies

Commemorations for the fallen police officers of the next city over, Pasadena, CA, are what you expect, with the majority of them being posted on the date of the officer's death or by non-anonymous relationships of the officer, rather than seemingly random anonymous reflections.

Fallen Police Officers of Pasadena, CA

The Freemasons had a hall in Monrovia, CA, which they gave up to the town gym around the time things started reopening within a limited capacity during the pandemic. The gym initially reopened within the parking lot of their original building, then moved to the parking lot behind the Mason's hall, and now use the Mason's hall themselves. There is still a Freemason hall in Arcadia, CA.

I'm not sure I remember exactly when things started to reopen within a limited capacity during the pandemic, but the gym may have moved to the Mason hall parking lot soon after I brought attention to the Allen Allensworth Memorial. If there's any evidence that Allen Allensworth was murdered, the Freemason's may have it. They may also have evidence of any possible indiscretions perpetrated by a/the police officer(s) of Monrovia, CA.