Community conflicted over two proposed statues outside new Quincy public safety building

QUINCY, Mass. — The Quincy City Council meeting was packed Monday night with people both opposed and in support of the public art project planned for outside the new public safety building.

The mayor’s chief of staff gave a presentation, saying Quincy Mayor Tom Koch made the decision to commission two 10-foot bronze statues of Saint Michael and Saint Florian on the facade of the new building, which is still under construction.

“He’s made this decision, he understands that some people don’t agree with it,” said Chris Walker, the mayor’s chief of staff, during the city council meeting. “I want to be clear the depictions of Michael and Florian transcend any religious connotation, these are historic, symbolic protectors of our first responders.”

But others disagree and worry the statues violate case law for separation of church and state by promoting one religion.

“It’s a religious symbol that does not reflect the diversity of our city,” said Kathy Thrun Nason, a Quincy resident.

“It’s absolutely illegal patently illegal it’s a misappropriation of probably all in, close to a million dollars, misappropriation of public funds,” said Bill Zamzow, a Quincy resident.

The other issue is the cost.

Some Quincy residents say as taxpayers they should have had a say in this project after learning the statues will cost about $850,000.

Many also worry about the use of force displayed in this art and whether it’s too violent to represent the Quincy Police Department.

“It’s frightening, this is a public safety building,” said Gerry Mackay, a Quincy resident. “I would be afraid to bring my grandchild past this statue.”

Quincy city councilors both supported and opposed the decision to commission these statues and say the decision was never up to them; this was solely the mayor’s decision.

The mayor’s office says the cost of the statues is just a small fraction of the overall budget to build the new public safety building, which will cost about 175 million dollars overall.

The new public safety building is expected to open this fall.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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