YPD dedicate new evidence storage facility to fallen Lt. Daniel P. Elkins
Moses Femino
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma Police Department (YPD) officially opened its new evidence storage facility dedicating the building to fallen Lt. Daniel P. Elkins in honor of his service and sacrifice.
The facility provides a larger, more secure space for storing and processing evidence while also serving as a lasting memorial to Elkins and Arizona Department of Public Safety Sgt. Michael Crowe, who were both killed in the line of duty in 1995.
According to YPD, Elkins and Sgt. Crowe were investigating missing evidence when they were shot and killed while serving as supervisors with the Southwest Border Alliance, a multi-agency law enforcement task force.
YPD said naming the facility after Elkins ensures that the legacy of both officers will continue to be remembered.
“It’s special that we can let the legacy of these men who lost their lives serving their country, serving the department to live on for people to know,” Sgt. Lori Franklin of the YPD Public Affairs Unit said. “And I think it’s important for the families too. So that they know that they will never be forgotten.”
Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls said the dedication serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by law enforcement officers in the community.
“Those that give the ultimate sacrifice for our community are never forgotten,” Mayor Nicholls said. “That was 31 years ago. It’s one of those things that we remind ourselves that the men and women who don the uniform, put their lives on the line for us. And that there are some that have lost it in the service, unfortunately. And it’s our obligation as a community to continue to honor that through time.”
The new evidence storage facility is designed to improve the department’s handling and security of evidence while ensuring the memory of Elkins and Crowe remains a permanent part of the YPD’s history.