Show Your Law Enforcement Appreciation

Today (January 9th) is National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. We'd like to ask you to express admiration and appreciation for the incredibly hard-working men and women around the nation (and world) that put their lives on the line every single day of their job, simply because they want to help. It's not a degree of selflessness nor strength that I have myself, and any time I see someone in uniform, I swell with pride for them.

Take a moment to think about the scariest thing that could happen to you, your family, your friends, etc., and think about how you would handle experiencing that situation any day, repeatedly, as a career. It's daunting and something I know I cannot quite fully appreciate, even as closely tied to law enforcement as I am.

There were endless days in my childhood when family members couldn't attend school functions because they had shift work. There are still holidays I don't always see family at, or they barely scoot in, worn out after a tense 12-hour day. I hear about officer shootings across the country and worry about friends that work in other states, so on and so forth. But despite the concern I have had for these people in my life, the admiration and pride I feel overwhelms that ten-fold. I'm so glad they do what they do. Never underestimate the efforts of law enforcement, no matter how annoying your parking ticket (that you probably deserved) is.

Concerns of Police Survivors has a brief article today applauding the efforts of officers around the country, and tips on ways you can show your own appreciation, such as,

• wear blue clothing in support of law enforcement
• send a card of support to your local police department or state agency
• share a story about positive law enforcement on social media

And mostly simply, most importantly: if you see a police officer, thank a police officer.

This would be an excellent day to contribute to the Wyoming Law Enforcement memorial statue, which is being built in honor of fallen Wyoming officers! To donate in person to the memorial, please deposit at the Wyoming Fraternal Order of Police Lodge in Cheyenne (PO Box 1245, Cheyenne WY, 82003) or at your local Highway Patrol or Division of Criminal Investigation offices.