Wisconsin legislators are proposing making May “Law Enforcement Appreciation Month.” The resolution was introduced on Friday and is written and co-sponsored by over three dozen lawmakers in both the Wisconsin State Senate and Assembly.
Law Enforcement Appreciation Day is in January, but, since 1963, National Police Week has been observed in May, along with Peace Officers Memorial Day on May 15, the legislators explained.
The proposal reads, “unfortunately law enforcement officers are killed or harmed in the line of duty, with over 25,000 officers having been killed in the line of duty in United States’ history, two officers being killed in Wisconsin in 2021, and almost 300 officers being killed in Wisconsin’s history; and there are approximately 13,600 law enforcement officers serving in Wisconsin and almost 600 law enforcement agencies operating in the state.”
They write that making the month of May Law Enforcement Appreciation Month would “offer an opportunity to provide the recognition and support that law enforcement officers deserve for their selfless dedication and hard work protecting the citizens and communities of Wisconsin.”
The proposal states that in celebrating the month individuals would be “encouraged to show their support and appreciation of law enforcement by taking various actions, including by sending a card of support to their local police department, by sharing a positive law enforcement experience on social media, by participating in Project Blue Light through displaying a blue light outside of their house, and, most importantly, by thanking a police officer.”
The lawmakers finished by saying, “the members of the Assembly and Senate express their tremendous gratitude and support to all law enforcement officers in the state of Wisconsin and the nation for their sacrifices and selfless service in protecting our communities.”
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Hayley Feland is a reporter with The Minnesota Sun and The Wisconsin Daily Star | Star News Network. Follow Hayley on Twitter or like her Facebook page. Send news tips to [email protected].
Photo “Police Officers” by Elvert Barnes CC BY-SA 2.0.
