What Is The True Meaning Behind The Badge

Published by Robert L Senior Reporter, on Wednesday, 15th May 2024 at 17:00hrs

It is often seen to be worn by Police officers up and down the country, but what does the thin blue line union jack flag actually mean.

People often refer it to the gang badge worn by Police officers carrying out their duties upholding the law of the land and putting their lives on the line to protect us the public, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

But we share with you the real meaning behind the badge, and it’s a heartwarming one.

Back in 1995, a tragic incident in which two US officers were killed began a chain of events that led to the foundation of the charity, Care of Police Survivors, known as (COPS).

On 4 July 1995, Lieutenant Danny P. Elkins of the Yuma Police Department, Arizona, was shot and killed on duty, investigating missing evidence. Danny left a wife and daughter, but his death started a chain of events that could never have been foreseen.

Strathclyde Police Detective Jim McNulty was a friend of Danny’s. He had visited him in Yuma and even gone for a ‘ride along’ with him on duty. They were, as the Chief of Yuma Police Department noted, kindred spirits

Experiencing National Police Week in the US prompted Strathclyde Police Officer Jim Nulty to start a movement to hold a similar event in the UK.

Jim travelled to Washington DC and visited the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial (NLEOM) to look for Danny’s name on the wall. There are over 20,000 names on the Memorial and as he searched, a passer-by asked if he could be of any help. That man was Craig Floyd, CEO of the Memorial Foundation. The two spoke and Craig recommended that Jim return to the US for National Police Week, a week of events honouring fallen police officers.

Seeing how the US Law Enforcement community paid tribute to their fallen officers and how the charity Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S) supported their surviving families convinced Jim of the need for something similar in the UK.

Jim started his mission to set up a charity for survivors in the UK, but his early efforts met with closed doors. 

On returning home Jim began to knock on doors to gather support for a Scottish Police Memorial and a charity to support the families of police officers who died on duty. His early success, however, was limited, but Jim persevered.

After the tragedy of September 11 2001, Jim organised a trip to Police Week and was joined by 30 officers from all over the UK.

They formed a guard of honour with their US colleagues for the survivors as they arrived for the candlelight vigil.

The ‘Bobbies at Police Week’ contingent returned to Police Week in 2003, and this time Christine Fulton, whose police officer husband Lewis had died on duty in 1994, joined them.

Christine spent her time visiting US survivors and meeting organisers from C.O.P.S and the NLEOM Fund while her nine-year-old son Luke was included in all the C.O.P.S. kids events.

Christine admits she went along, thinking it would be a nice holiday, but Police Week changed their lives. The right idea, at the right time with the right people, found doors were not only open, but Jim’s ideas were now listened to and acted upon.

From those initial visits and the contacts made emerged the driving force and original trustees of both Care of Police Survivors (COPS) and the Scottish Police Memorial.

The first COPS Survivor Weekend was held at Lichfield, Staffordshire, in 2003. Sixty-four survivors came to the weekend, and one Chief Constable attended the Sunday service. From those small beginnings has emerged the successful and vibrant charity that is COPS today.

Police officers and staff throughout the country support the charity by buying memorabilia which then helps survivors of those that lose their life on the thin blue line.

To find out more about the work (COPS) do visit the link here 👇 https://policecharitiesuk.org/charities-list/for-families-loved-ones/care-of-police-survivors-cops/#:~:text=Care%20of%20Police%20Survivors%20(COPS)%20was%20founded%20in%20March%202003,duty%20in%20Glasgow%20in%201994.