The Clay County Sheriff’s Office is honoring Detective David White with a ceremony launching many long term, legacy plans.

Sheriff Rick Beseler will present medals of honor to the team serving with White the day he was killed and another detective injured, as well as posthumously to White.  In a ceremony Friday, the office will also outline memorial Police Academy scholarships, outline a planned bike ride to Washington DC, and finally move on a project a long time in the making.

“We wanted to break ground now so that we can actually unveil out Memorial Project on Police Memorial Week,” says Beseler.

The Clay County Law Enforcement Memorial will be right outside the Sheriff’s Office, or the Detective David White Memorial Headquarters in Green Cove Springs.  Beseler says it’s significant to be starting this project so close to the one year anniversary of White’s death, which is Saturday.

“Just a very emotional time for the members of the agency to bring this project to fruition,” he says.

Another focus for the office will be the “Below 100” initiative to cut down the number of law enforcement deaths around the nation.  Beseler says about 165 officers died in the line of duty in 2012, including White, and he wants to see that number fall.