Slain officer’s memorial dedicated at
Brooker Creek Preserve
October 8, 2007
Twenty-three years after her brutal murder in
northern Pinellas County, the life of wildlife officer Margaret E.
“Peggy” Park still has a significant impact on family, friends and
fellow officers. A polished stone marker, located only yards from
where she lost her life, was dedicated to her memory Monday.
Located at Brooker Creek Preserve, the monument
commemorates Park’s dedication and sacrifice to conservation. The
marker was placed through the efforts of Pinellas County’s
Environmental Lands Division.
Park’s family, friends, a representative from the
governor’s office, other government officials, law enforcement
officers, fire and rescue personnel, and local land managers, some
who knew her well, were in attendance.
“My family and I are very moved, and we appreciate
the efforts of all the people who have worked to create and dedicate
a memorial to Peggy,” Betsy Park, younger sister to Park, said.
“Keeping her memory alive is of paramount importance to us.”
Park, a Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission
wildlife officer, was alone on routine patrol off Keystone Road on
the night of Dec. 3, 1984. She discovered two men stealing copper
wire from a power substation. Park confronted the two, who then
knocked her to ground and wrestled her service revolver from her.
A detailed investigation into Park’s murder resulted
in the men being caught, convicted and sent to prison.
“Peggy's death has had a profound impact throughout
the law enforcement training community, which continues to
reverberate even today,” said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission (FWC) law enforcement spokesperson Kat Kelley. “Law
enforcement trainers throughout the world continue to be presented
with a case study of Peggy's untimely death and receive training on
how to better equip and train female officers for survival.”
At the time of her funeral, Park’s ashes were
scattered over a favorite spot she visited frequently: an eagle’s
nest near the memorial site. She now keeps eternal watch over that
which she loved so dearly.
“She was a stellar officer – hardworking, dedicated
and professional. She was missed at the time of her death over two
decades ago, and she is still missed today,” said Col. Julie Jones,
director of the Division of Law Enforcement for FWC.
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