This Thursday, September 14 is recognized as New Orleans Law Enforcement Day, and The New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation (NOPJF) encourages New Orleans residents and businesses to wear blue clothing and display blue lighting.
The NOPJF invites locals to participate in honoring and supporting local law enforcement officers who work endlessly to keep the community safe.
New Orleans Law Enforcement Day
New Orleans Law Enforcement Day aims to express pride and gratitude for first responders at the local level.
The NOPJF submitted a request to City Council President JP Morrell, who then issued a public announcement saying this Thursday will be dedicated to honoring all divisions of local law enforcement. Those being honored on this day include police officers, sheriff deputies, university, levee, railway and governmental organizations dedicated to public safety. The NOPJF hopes to boost morale in understaffed departments, as well as show officers that the community has their backs.
In honor of this day, several well-known buildings that make up New Orleans' skyline will be illuminated in blue to recognize the dedication and sacrifices local law enforcement officers make every day. As the centers of so many cultural events, these buildings' lights will express New Orleans' support for its officers. The buildings that will be illuminated include Caesars Superdome, Hibernia Tower, Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, and Aloft New Orleans Downtown.
The mission of NOPJF is to make New Orleans a safer place to live, work and visit. The NOPJF is also responsible for several programs that impact the lives and investigations of individual officers.
Most recently, the foundation put on its "Back the Badge" recruitment campaign, which was responsible for driving police officer recruitment applications to the New Orleans Police Department. The campaign resulted in over 45,000 applications received since 2013, and 2,200 of which were produced in the first seven months of 2023.
Now, the NOPJF is focused on enhancing its core programs, such as the officer tuition assistance program, advanced officer training, community events, Adopt-A-Cop Mardi Gras Support Program and increasing the success and impact of units and districts.
The units that have been recently impacted by a partnership with NOPJF include the Mounted Unit, which the NOPJF helps coordinate horse adoptions with. Also, the Canine Unit which NOPJF helped to facilitate annual certifications through the National Police Canine Association. The Digital Forensics Unit has also been impacted by NOPJF, as the foundation helped to acquire rare or unique hardware and software. Lastly, the NOPJF sent detectives from the District Investigative Units (DIU) to training at the Reid Institute.
"The bravery, fortitude, and sacrifice demonstrated each and every day by our local law enforcement is without equal, and our appreciation for what they do to keep our community safe is immeasurable," says Elizabeth A. Boh, Board Chair at the NOPJF.
"From working perimeters in scorching heat, to pedestrian safety at huge events, to proactive enforcement and game-day patrols, our officers at each department in Orleans Parish ensure order is never threatened by chaos," says Boh.
While the focus of New Orleans Law Enforcement Day is to appreciate current law enforcement officers, the NOPJF acknowledges and remembers those who previously served and those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
New Orleans has recently lost several off-duty and retired officers, and the lives of those officers must be remembered. In the nation, 118 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in 2022. In 2023, at least 77 officers have died in the line of duty and August was said to be the most dangerous month.
New Orleans Law Enforcement Day
The NOPJF asks that you thank every officer you encounter and display blue lighting on your porches, lawns, garages, windows, businesses and/or any way that will illuminate the night of September 14.
The sight of blue lights on a dark night will signal to officers, deputies and all members of law enforcement that they have the support of the community they have sworn to protect.
