Memorial

Always Remember...

SGT. DONALD HARTLEY BASQUETTE

End of Watch: Sunday, February 11, 1969

Sgt. Basquette, 31, died of gunshot wounds sustained two months earlier while he and other officers attempted to arrest a man wanted for murder and robbery of the Comanche National Bank.

On December 22, 1968, the suspect, Jimmy Dean Cloud, was arrested and placed into the back of a patrol car. When Sgt. Basquette opened the door to talk to him, Cloud produced a .25 caliber handgun, took Sgt.�Basquette's service revolver at gunpoint, and then shot him. Officers at the scene returned fire and Cloud surrendered.

Sgt.�Basquette died at Hillcrest Hospital from gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen. He had been with the agency for seven years and was survived by his wife and two children. Back to memorial page

OFFICER HOLLY RAY ANDERSON

End of Watch: Tuesday, October 8, 1940

Officer Anderson succumbed to injuries sustained the previous day when his motorcycle collided with a vehicle at Austin Avenue and 11th Street while he was responding to a fire alarm, which was one block from his residence. The vehicle failed to yield right of way to his police motorcycle, and he was thrown over the vehicle and landed in front of a bus. He was transported to Providence Hospital where he died the following night.

Officer Anderson, 31, had been with the agency for six years and was survived by his wife, parents, two brothers and three sisters. Back to memorial page

HONOR AND REMEMBER

Texas leads the nation in the number of officer deaths

The National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Foundation reports Texas leads the nation in 2008 in the number of officer fatalities. So far this year, seven Texas peace officers have been killed in the line of duty. As of June 30, 61 officers nationwide had made the ultimate sacrifice.

The Peace Officers Memorial Foundation honors Texas' fallen officers by providing assistance and support in a line of duty death. The foundation also offers college scholarships, sponsors the biennial Memorial Service at the Texas State Capitol and supports research to find and honor all Texas peace officers who throughout history have made the ultimate sacrifice. The POMF is a 501(c)3 charity of the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas.

The Officer Down Memorial Page is a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring America's fallen law enforcement heroes. More than 19,000 officers have made the ultimate sacrifice in the United States and ODMP pays a lasting tribute to each of these officers by preserving their memories within its pages.

► WPA BRIEFING ROOM

WPA President Anne Cyr backed by the WPA Board of Directors talks to the Waco media about the billboards along IH-35 on Oct. 21, 2008.

Waco is the 7th Most Violent City in Texas!

FBI Crime Statistics show Waco is becoming more dangerous. With an alarming increase in the number of drive-by shootings, home invasions, armed robberies and violent crime, the criminals are creating an atmosphere of fear in our city. Repeated attempts to warn the Mayor and City Council of Waco's growing crime problem have been ignored by the politicians at City Hall. They don't want to discuss the issue in a public meeting because they don't want you to know how dangerous our city has become.

That's why in Fall 2008, the Waco Police Association took its message to the community in the form of billboards along IH-35. The billboards were posted several weeks after a similar warning appeared in commercials on local television stations.