Saturday, January 9, is National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, and to celebrate, we’ve figured out some of the best ways to show your support to those in blue.
From donations to sending a card, there are many different ways you can show your appreciation for law enforcement.
Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS), a national organization composed of over 54,000 spouses, children, parents, siblings, significant others, and co-workers of police officers who have died in the line of duty, is leading its Law Enforcement Appreciation Day (LEAD) campaign to encourage people to express their support for law enforcement officers.
Citing recent negative statements directed toward law enforcement, COPS said there is a need to show law enforcement officers that “citizens recognize the difficult and sometimes impossible career” these officers have chosen to be able to serve the public.
Among the ideas they advise is for people to wear blue all day, shine blue lights from their homes, make cards for their police department, donate blood in the National Blue Blood Drive, take treats or lunch to the police department, fly blue ribbons on their car antenna, motorcycle or anywhere a ribbon can be tied, or simply approach a police officer and say “thank you” whenever you see one.
COPS also hosts a National Police Survivors’ Conference each May during National Police Week, and sponsors scholarship programs, peer-support programs, a COPS Kids counseling reimbursement program, and other assistance programs for both officers and their families as well as their survivor members.
The Fraternal Order of Police, a fraternal brotherhood of sworn law enforcement officers in the United States, says individuals can show their support in a number of ways, such as changing your profile picture on social media to support law enforcement, posting a story about a positive law enforcement experience, asking children in your community to write letters in support of law enforcement, or actually organizing a community event or rally in support of your law enforcement officers.
Other police support organizations also suggest sharing your story on social media with the hashtag #NationalLawEnforcementAppreciationDay.
It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but some form of appreciation may be all you need to extend so law enforcement officers could feel they are needed and that their sacrifices are recognized. After all, it’s they who you automatically think of whenever you think your safety is at risk.
And whether you like it or not, it’s their work and their service that allows you to sleep soundly at night, secure in the thought that outside your home, these men and women in blue are keeping watch over your neighborhood.
