National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day (L.E.A.D.)
In 2023, partnering organizations in support of law enforcement officers nationwide will promote National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day (L.E.A.D.). Let's show law enforcement officers that our citizens recognize the difficult and sometimes impossible career they have chosen, in public service to us all.
Each year, we will call our nation’s citizens to action in support of law enforcement. We encourage citizens to take time on January 9th to show their support. Our citizens can show their support in a number of ways:
- Wear blue clothing in support of law enforcement.
- Send a card of support to your local police department or state agency.
- Share a story about a positive law enforcement experience on social media.
- Ask children in your community to write letters in support of law enforcement.
- Participate in Project Blue Light - Proudly display your blue light in support of law enforcement.
- Advertise your support through local media outlets/billboards.
- Post the public service announcement supplied by C.O.P.S. to your organization’s webpage or social media pages.
- Coordinate and/or participate in a Blue Blood Drive.
Most importantly, if you see a police officer, thank a police officer.
About Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.)
Each year, between 140 and 160 officers die in the line of duty and their families and co-workers are left to cope. C.O.P.S. provides resources to help them rebuild their shattered lives. There is no membership fee to join C.O.P.S., for the price paid is already too high.
C.O.P.S. was organized in 1984 with 110 individual members. Today, C.O.P.S. membership is over 65,000 survivors. Survivors include spouses, children, parents, siblings, significant others, and co-workers of officers who have died in the line of duty according to Federal government criteria. C.O.P.S. is governed by a national board of law enforcement survivors. All programs and services are administered by the National Office in Camdenton, Missouri. C.O.P.S. has over 50 chapters nationwide that work with survivors at the grass-roots level.
C.O.P.S. programs for survivors include the National Police Survivors' Conference held each May during National Police Week, scholarships, peer-support at the national, state, and local levels, "C.O.P.S. Kids" counseling reimbursement program, the "C.O.P.S. Kids" Summer Camp, "C.O.P.S. Teens" Outward Bound Adventure for young adults, special retreats for spouses, parents, siblings, adult children, extended family, and co-workers, trial and parole support, and other assistance programs.
C.O.P.S. knows that a survivor's level of distress is directly affected by the agency's response to the tragedy. C.O.P.S., therefore, offers training and assistance to law enforcement agencies nationwide on how to respond to the tragic loss of a member of the law enforcement profession. C.O.P.S. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. C.O.P.S. programs and services are funded by grants and donations.
Source: Concerns of Police Survivors
