Mondays Matter: Week 40

Taken from the book Every Monday Matters: 52 Ways To Make A Difference by Matthew Emerzian and Kelly Bozza

THANK A LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER

-Over 675,000 sworn officers and nearly 295,000 civilian officers protect and serve citizens.

-Over 14 million arrests occur annually for all offenses except traffic violations.

ACTION STEPS

1. Walk up and thank a law enforcement officer for keeping you and your community safe.

2. Pull your car to your right and out of the way when you hear a siren or see a police car approaching with its lights on.

3. Organize your friends, co-workers, neighborhood, or child's classroom to create and deliver a thank-you card to your local law enforcement agency, police station, or town sheriff.

4. Ask your local police department which organizations support them...and donate.

5. Support or start a Neighborhood Watch program in your community.

6. Always report crime.

Several years ago my husband and I attended a Citizen's Police Academy where we were able to go through similiar training and classes that regular officers go through. We were also able to ride along with an officer to see what goes on in the day of a police officer. I learned how difficult some of their days can be, the kind of situations they are put into, the kind of people they have to deal with and the risks that the officers face every single day. It was such an eye opener for me and I have such respect for those officers who spend their days protecting our family. Our town doesn't have a police department or even its own sheriff. We have a county sheriff's department that makes visits to our town on a regular basis. A few years ago I became concerned (along with another mom) about the after-school traffic through town. Numerous children walk home from school and the traffic leaving the high school had become quite dangerous and many were driving down a closed street (closed to keep the kids safe that were getting off busses). So, after calling the sheriff's department, they now make regular visits to sit in town after school and monitor traffic. I am deeply appreciative of their time here and have told them so on many occasions. I just don't want to see one child get hurt because of a careless driver.

Law enforcement officers make an incredible difference in your community. Every day they put their lives at risk to protect you, your neighbors and your loved ones. Thank the next officer you see for their valuable service.