Lake County Gazette

An Illinois state representative who is active in his community as a small businessman and volunteer marked National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day on Sunday, Jan. 9.

State Rep. Martin McLaughlin (R-Barrington Hills) said on Facebook that lawmakers need “to continue to support legislation that empowers our officers to do their jobs effectively.” 

“It’s Law Enforcement Appreciation Day! Here’s a shout out to all those who leave their families every day to go out and protect ours,” McLaughlin said on Facebook. “Here’s to their safe return to their families each and every day and night.”

Created by multiple organizations in 2015, National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day is observed on Jan. 9 to show officers that people are aware of the difficulty of their work and that it’s appreciated, the day’s history said. Events surrounding the time in 2014 when a police officer was involved in a crossfire shooting in Missouri served to usher in the day’s creation. 

“The backlash and violence that followed this event led C.O.P.S. (Concerns of Police Survivors)  to take the initiative to change this negative portrayal of police officers in the news in recent years into a positive one,” the history said. “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.”

People express gratitude for their local law enforcement in several ways on National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. For instance, they may wear blue clothing in solidarity with police officers or share on social media positive experiences with law enforcers.

The appreciation day is marked during a time when several cities experienced record-high crime in 2021, while dealing with police staffing shortages that affected their 911 calls' response times, Newsweek reported. 

Chicago was third on a list of top cities affected by organized retail crime, according to the “2021 Retail Security Survey.”