Peace officer memorial vandalized in Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- People are fundraising to repair a peace officer memorial that was vandalized in Colorado Springs sometime in late June.

The Pikes Peak Region Peace Officers' Memorial Foundation says someone took a sharp object and scratched several of the names of fallen officers engraved on the granite slab located at Memorial Park.

The memorial features a fallen lion resting upon a base of granite, engraved with the names of peace officers who died in the line of duty.

Officials have reviewed security footage since June but have not found a suspect.

Janet Huffor, a spokesperson for the foundation, said that the scratches are "so deep that it's almost impossible to sand down the granite" to repair the memorial.

A GoFundMe page has been set up and is asking for $50,000 to replace the granite slab. The foundation has looked into cheaper options like placing a brass plaque over the names, but Huffor says that would not be fair for the families of the deceased peace officers.

"I can't tell you how much it hurts them," she said. "It may seem as simple as a scratch on some granite but to them, it's the desecration of what their family members died doing."

Huffor says they are hoping to restore the memorial by the end of the year.