'Back the Blue' week planned in Lebanon to honor law enforcement - KY3
LEBANON, Mo. (KY3) - Downtown Lebanon is decked out in blue for “Back the Blue” week in an effort to recognize law enforcement.
This is the city’s first “Back the Blue” week. It’s aimed at showing the officers they are appreciated and an effort from the city to recruit new officers.
”We are sitting here listening to how how difficult is to recruit and, and our HR team and city administrators really stepped up their game and have been traveling around to different schools recruiting,” said Ken Eldridge, Committee member and City Council member.
It started as a way to recruit more officers. It quickly turned into showing appreciation for law enforcement.
”We love officers, but we don’t really go out and show them and go the extra mile like you do with a veteran. So it’s like, why don’t we do something, let them know that how we feel,” said Eldridge.
The town has come together to bring food, gift certificates, and decorate in blue, but it’s the simple ‘Thank You” that goes a long way.
”We’ve had just a lot of people that just stop us on the street and just say, ‘thank you for your service,’“ said David Millsap, Laclede County Sheriff.
Bryan Arnold, Lebanon Chief of Police said it is meaningful to hear the gratitude from citizens.
”The week started out with back to blue banners all over town, signs, things on billboards. Then, all through the week, citizens and businesses have been bringing gifts into the officers. People have been walking up to us on the streets just to tell us thank you for our service,” said Chief Arnold, “It’s been a very meaningful week for everybody. And we feel blessed to be in a community that supports its law enforcement.“
To Eldridge, it’s just a small way to show gratitude.
”Nobody goes into those fields to make money. You’re doing it because you have a servant’s heart, and that’s what we’re asked to do. You know, it says in the Bible to serve serve your fellow man,” said Eldridge.
Sheriff Milsap said he doesn’t know of any other community that honors police like Laclede County does.
”I told my deputies, we never want to take for granted the support that we have and we want to make sure that we continue to earn that respect. So I think this kind of reminds us that we have a big play in this when it says honor, the blue is that we have to give that back to the community,” said Sheriff Millsap.
Back the Blue week will be topped off at Friday night’s football game against West Plains, during which law enforcement will be honored.
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source: https://www.ky3.com/2021/10/01/back-blue-week-planned-lebanon-honor-law-enforcement/
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