INDIANAPOLIS -- When Indianapolis teenager Sylvia Likens was tortured to death in 1965, the city received a rude awakening to the reality of child abuse.

Four Indianapolis police officers wanted to make certain that she wasn't forgotten.

So, Lt. Tom Rodgers, Deputy Chief Darryl Pierce, Lt. William Benjamin and Officer Chester Price helped organize a memorial to Likens.

They are this week's RTV6 Leadership Award winners.

After the memorial was unveiled June 22 at Willard Park, Rodgers was stunned at how many people knew about how Likens had been branded, starved and locked in a cellar.

"It amazed me that so many people remembered her and what happened to her," Rodgers said.

Rodgers, who grew up with Likens, said that a donation from filmmaker Ivan Rogers helped make the memorial possible.

"It was like the Lord blessed us," Rodgers said. "People just came together at the right time, and it just happened."

On dedication day, nearly 300 people came to pay their respects.

Pierce said that he, too, remembers Likens' death.

"It affected me greatly at the time, because I just couldn't imagine that happening to anyone that I knew," Pierce said. "When it happened, I think it took a part of a lot of people."

Pierce said that Sylvia's death should serve as a reminder that abuse must be prevented.

"This does happen, and whatever steps (people) need to take, be it reporting someone who is abusing a child, we need to keep that reminder in people's eyes and let them know that we can't tolerate this kind of thing," Pierce said. "It's a terrible tragedy, and we don't want it to happen to our children."