National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

Have you ever wanted to be a police officer as a kid? In today’s day and age, police officers have been getting a bad reputation in the United States due to reports of incidents with police officers and unfair treatment. Despite these tensions, there is a day dedicated to the lives of police officers and the services they provide.

That day is called National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, and it is all about saying thank you to those who have one of the toughest positions in the country.

Whether you are a police officer, have family members who are police officers, or have no clue what that’s like, this day is all about bringing light into a dark perspective of the police force.

History of National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day was founded in 2015 by multiple organizations who joined together to show appreciation for officers in the United States.

One of the main organizations, Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.), encourages citizens to thank their police officers on this day in support of their services. According to C.O.P.S, they believe that there is a need to show law enforcement officers that people recognize the difficult careers that have chosen as a public service to protect lives and uphold the law.

This event was sparked by the events of 2014 when an officer was involved shooting in Ferguson, Missouri and the violence and negativity that brewed over that event led to C.O.P.S hoping to change that. They discourage the negative attention that police officers have been getting in recent news and hope to turn the image of police officers into a positive one.

Because there are over 900,000 law enforcement officers in America, C.O.P.S. believes it is vital to show them support during times of difficulty, and thus the holiday helps bring awareness to the difficult decisions police officers have to make each day in the best interest of the law and people.

How to Observe National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

If you want to support your local law enforcement, there are many things you can do. Wear blue clothing in support of law enforcement, Send a card of support to your local police department, or share a story about a positive law enforcement experience on social media.

If you want to spread the positivity of police officers, then you can ask your kids to write letters to support law enforcement. You can also change your profile picture to show your support for police as well. If you have family members who are police officers, spend time with them by letting them tell you about their experiences as a cop and bond with them.

In honor of this event the Department of Homeland Security has released a resource guide for law enforcement, so check it out as a way to give a nod to this day.