MANHATTAN BEACH : Monument to Honor Officer

Nearly a month after Manhattan Beach Police Officer Martin Ganz was slain during a traffic stop, residents are digging into their pockets to help commemorate his life.

Stephen Guidone, a Manhattan Beach dentist, has collected $3,000 to erect a memorial in a city park. He placed collection tins in school classrooms and local shops, and he hopes to raise another $2,000 for the monument.

“(Officer Ganz) really seemed to have a positive influence on this community,” said Guidone, a former volunteer in the Police Department. “I hope this will help provide a resolution to this tragedy.”

Police, searching for two suspects in the Dec. 27 shooting, have offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the killer’s arrest.

The City Council donated $50,000 toward the reward. The police officers association added $15,000, and an anonymous resident pitched in $25,000, promising an additional $10,000 if necessary.

In addition, the Martin Ganz Trust Fund was established two days after the officer’s death. So far, $24,000 has been collected for the officer’s family and a memorial scholarship.

For more information on the monument fund, call (310) 374-9749. To contribute to the reward or the trust fund, call the Manhattan Beach Police Department at (310) 545-5621.