Richmond's Planning Commission has approved a plan to restore a statue of a police officer that was vandalized in 2020.

The commission approved the general look and feel, known as the "location, character and extent," of a new Richmond Police Department memorial statue plaza at 1202 W. Graham Road in the city's North Side. The plans do not need further approval from city council.

Made of bronze, the Richmond Police Memorial Statue depicts a police officer carrying a child. Artist Maria Kirby-Smith created it in 1987 and included a plaque listing the names of 28 Richmond police officers killed in the line of duty between 1863 and 2003. The city originally placed it downtown near the Coliseum.

In 2016, retired police officer Glenwood Burley led an effort to move the statue to Byrd Park.

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