COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – After city crews cut off locks in memory of homicide victims from a Columbus bridge, city officials and the group that started the initiative are planning a permanent, larger memorial.

Moms of Murdered Columbus Children, an anti-violence advocacy group consisting of local mothers, began placing locks on the Rich Street Bridge in October 2021 with the permission of city officials. But in late March, the city’s Department of Public Service removed the display of approximately 140 locks, dubbed “Locks of Love,” unbeknownst to the group's members.

Founder Malissa St. Clair discovered the locks were removed when she received a call from a member of the nonprofit who visited the bridge and discovered her lock, in memory of her two grandchildren who were killed, was removed.

“When I did find out that it was the city level that removed them, I was, in transparency, frustrated, angry, hurt for myself, hurt for the families, the over 100 families that were represented on that bridge,” St. Clair said in April.

The city’s Department of Public Service said the locks were removed during bridge maintenance to “prevent extra weight from compromising structural safety” although St. Clair said she did not believe there were enough locks on the bridge to pose a safety risk.

“When the department of [public service] cut those locks off, they didn’t realize what our locks represented,” St. Clair said. “So when it was brought to their attention, they moved quickly to have a meeting with me.”

St. Clair is now calling the incident a “blessing in disguise” after she had a meeting with city officials in early May. The nonprofit and city leaders are planning to contract a local artist to create a 10- to 15-foot replica of MOMCC’s logo, which depicts a woman with wings, St. Clair said. The sculpture will be welded from metal, and the group’s memorial locks will be placed on the wings of the statue.

“Once you put the lock on there, you become a family,” St. Clair said. “It’s more than just an art installation, this is really truly a representation of families giving their love back to a city that they now are tainted by because of the violence.”

The project will be funded by the city, according to St. Clair. The group is planning for the sculpture to stand close to the Rich Street Bridge, where the locks were originally placed. St. Clair said the location of the memorial is important, and that area was chosen due to its view of the downtown skyline.

MOMCC plans to have annual ceremonies to place locks on the art installation. The first ceremony will be for those who originally had locks on the bridge, and others who have lost loved ones to violence in Columbus may join in on the following ceremonies.

“I’m actually overjoyed,” St. Clair said. “We’re a very faith-filled organization, so we look at it as God providing a bigger way to bring awareness. So this is way more than I could have ever imagined for this organic initiative. And we’re very appreciative and very thankful.”

MOMCC and the city are in the early stages of developing the art installation and currently do not have a timeline for when it will be built. St. Clair encouraged those who want to take part in the Locks of Love initiative to reach out to MOMCC through its website.