Commemorating the Police
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The year 2020 hasn’t been kind to the world. While we’ve seen a global pandemic shut down so many things, riots running amuck, and deaths all over, we’ve witnessed essential workers stand at the forefront: braving the fire. We look at our police specifically and customize our commemorations to adjust to these COVID-19 times.
Although advocating for the commemoration of the police is a very debatable and touchy subject: there is a long history of the good police have done. There will always be bad times to recognize and adjust, but this is a way of things you can commemorate your local police.
One way cities can commemorate their police is by customizing their badges. These symbols hold a great amount of power and give each officer a sense of pride custom to their city. On a larger scale, cities have held walks of remembrance. Here, peaceful walkabouts are done to honor officers who have fallen while in the line of duty.
There is an official ‘Police Week’ in the United States, where individuals are encouraged to thank officers who live up to the standards or peace a justice. This week originally began in 1962 when President Kennedy wanted to proclaim a week, custom to the police that falls on May 15. This specifically honors law enforcement offers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
We have seen citizens celebrate this week by making custom letters to commemorate these officers. This year, as a global pandemic has swept the nation, officers have had to consider a new level of safety in protecting individuals. Attorney General William P Barr states that "the men and women who protect our communities each day have not just devoted their lives to public service, they’ve taken an oath to give their lives to ensure our safety."
Customizations have had to be made to celebrate and appropriately commemorate these law enforcement officers during this time. Virtual candlelight ceremonies, roll calls, and 5k’s are one-way individuals create custom connections to their communities. Commemorative videos are posted on various social media platforms to open the floor to share these remembrances. As we further into the many different trials that have occurred during the year 2020, ask yourself what you can do to create a custom and personal "thank you" to your local police.
