Architect's rendering of Del City's future William Haskell
Keith Memorial Police Building

     A groundbreaking means a hometown hero will be remembered for generations to come in the Oklahoma City suburb of Del City.

     Groundbreaking was Wednesday for the William Haskell Keith Memorial Police Building.

     Keith was a rookie Del City cop with only 3 days' experience under his belt when he was fatally injured January 12, 1965, during a high-speed police chase.
     Keith was driving, while his partner, a police sergeant, was firing his service pistol and a shotgun at a fleeing car.
     The cruiser slammed into a tree at an estimated 80 mph.

     The sergeant survived, but Keith died a week later, leaving behind his wife, his daughter, Kim, 7, and sons Jeremy, 3, and Shawn, 13 months.

     He was only 26.

     After the groundbreaking, Jeremy Keith said he feels a variety of emotions when he thinks about how Del City is honoring his father.
     "It took him a little while to get to this point, being a police officer," Keith said. "He was in the Air National Guard. He worked for the Post Office."
     (Ironically, the Del City Post Office is next door to the site of the building that will bear William Keith's name.)

     "Finally, he got to his dream job," said Keith. "Sadly, he was taken away from the job that he was looking forward to doing for the rest of his life."

     "Sometimes you want to bury it, and it kinda' brings up old memories," he said, "but in another way I'm honored that they're continuing what he sacrificed for my generation, my grandchildren and for future generations."

     His father will always be his hero.

"He was my fire," he said. "He was my guidance. He was my drive."

     Del City voters approved an earmarked sales tax to pay construction costs for the $3.7 million building. When it's finished in an estimated 18 months, the 18,500 sq. ft. facility will house Del City's police department and municipal court.

     "There have been three previous efforts to finance and construct a new, modern police facility," said Del City Manager Mark Edwards.
     "This fourth, successful, effort is the result of lots of hard work by senior management, the City Council and members of the police department," Edwards said.

     He said their cooperative efforts allowed the funding necessary to design and build "this beautiful new building, and to name it after one of our own."


Architect's rendering of Del City's future William Haskell
Keith Memorial Police Building