The plaza in front of the new police department will remember Quint, a Manteca Police K9 killed in the line of duty.

Quint’s sacrifice will be noted on the facing of a concrete planter box.

Manteca Police Stephen Schluer indicated previous plans to honor Constable James A. Raliegh in the same manner have since changed after further research indicated he wasn’t employed as a constable in the City of Manteca, but to cover a rural area west and north of Manteca.

Manteca, prior to and for a period after its incorporation in 1918, had constables instead of a fully established police department.

Schluer shared plans for the memorial during the open house design unveiling for the new $92 million 46,100 square-foot police station expected to break ground within the next five months at 600 South Main Street.

The chief noted that hopefully there will never be a need to add a name of a Manteca Police officer or their K9 partners that help to serve and protect the community.

K9 Quint was killed on Feb. 6, 1974 when he was struck and killed by a vehicle while tracking a prowler that had jumped a fence backing up to Highway 99 and fled across the freeway.

Qunit’s handler Officer Frank Gibbs responded to a report of a prowler in the 300 block of Lovell Way in the Magna Terra Estates neighborhood north and east of Doctors Hospitals where the streets are all named after astronauts.

Constable Raliegh patrolled the Castoria Township, a historic agricultural trade area once included Manteca, Lathrop, and French Camp.

Manteca was not part of the township when he died in the line of duty.

He was struck by a vehicle and seriously injured while investigating an accident on the old Highway 50 (The Lincoln Highway) near the Mossdale Crossing on Sept. 6, 1936.

He was transported to San Joaquin General Hospital where both of his legs had to be amputated as medical personnel attempted to save his life. However, an infection was never contained, and he passed away 11 days later.

Rawleigh was a United States WWI veteran and had served as constable with the Castoria Police Department for six years. He was survived by his wife.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com