National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day Created in 2015, Celebrated January 9

For a while the United States’ idea of law enforcement was fairly loose. The Wild West was, well, wild. And most states and cities didn’t consider emergency services like firefighters and police officers to be necessary until much later than most would think. In the mid 1800s, most law enforcement was carried out in the form of posse comitatus, where the sheriff and a posse of volunteers and deputies (much like the stereotypical Westerns of the 1960s) would enforce laws rather than a centralized police force.

Once the 20th century rolled around most larger cities, counties, and states had developed a centralized police or sheriff’s department. In doing so, most of the country slowly started to see a reduction in the “Wild West” and a more tame and domesticated America, despite many of the newly formed local authorities needing to pick sides in a rise of unionizing laborers going on strike.

Whether its civil unrest, labor strikes, huge sporting events, or just helping a cat get down from a tree, law enforcement officers are a critical part of our lives, woven into the everyday fabric of living in America. They keep our neighborhoods safe and help ensure that whatever it is you need to do, you can do with peace of mind.

National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day was created by multiple organizations in 2015 to express their gratitude for officers in the United States. In support of their services citizens are encouraged to do their part in thanking the law enforcers on this day. One of the main organizations to take the lead in this is C.O.P.S – Concerns of Police Survivors. According to them, law enforcement officers need to be shown that the difficult career path they have chosen is recognized by the people who they protect and uphold the law for.

This holiday was triggered by the chain of events in 2014, when a police officer was involved in a crossfire shooting in Missouri. The backlash and violence that followed this event led C.O.P.S to take the initiative to change this negative portrayal of police officers in the news in recent years into a positive one. With over 900,000 officers in the United States, the organization believes it is essential to support law enforcers during difficult times, and a holiday dedicated to them does just that. The day also raises awareness on the importance of understanding that the difficult decisions taken by police officers are in the best interest of citizens and the law.

Reasons to Say Thanks

They may have pulled you over on our daily commute for going that extra 10 mph over the speed limit; or maybe you saw them directing traffic from an unfortunate 3-car pile up on the side of the highway or keeping order at the concert you went to last month. Who would these public workers be? You guessed correctly, police officers.

Hopefully, your last interaction with them was a friendly observance of them performing one of the many functions that duty calls them to, and not to impose direct force on you from an infringement, or God-forbid be one of the individuals you faintly remember from that life-threatening or tragic incident.

We will never be obligated to appreciate them for their service, but here are a few reasons why thanking a police officer could provide us another layer of comfort as we step outside our front door and into the world.

#1. They serve us, the community.

In many communities, police and law enforcement officers  don’t only serve to protect or keep law and order. It’s said that law enforcement take the role of social workers, community organizers, counselors, protectors, mediators and even medical care providers.

Regardless of the reason, police officers respond to the call of duty. Recognized or not by people like you and me, they continue to serve at a moment’s notice, many times for things unseen. They’re here for us, people of their community. They don’t have to, but they choose to.

2.5 million – The number of residents who celebrated National Night Out with local law enforcement. 

NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT APPRECIATION STATS

292 – The number of officers in the United States Mint Police.

46 – The number of officers feloniously killed in 2017

708,569 – The all-time-high number of law enforcement officers, which was in 2008.

626,942 – The lowest number of law enforcement officers, which was in 2013.

⅓ – The amount of a police officer’s time that is spent on enforcing criminal law

9 – The number of female police officers were killed in the line of duty in 2017