The finer points associated with police work may go unnoticed perhaps because of the way media portrays the guns drawn and high-speed chases of the profession. But on a daily basis, officers must write field reports, attend to victims of accidents and crimes and rely on the nuances of law enforcement. In this spirit and in response to the gravity of police work in recent years, a mother and daughter team (Debbie and Jennifer Lamberson) formed the Mississippi Delta Back the Blue Adopt an Officer Campaign. Debbie provided background information about the history, foundation, and impact of Back the Blue. “My son T.J. (Lamberson) has been in law enforcement for 15 or 16 years now as a sheriff deputy and he’s one reason why we started,” she said. “We started Back the Blue five years ago which was around the time that police officers in Dallas were being shot and killed and police in New Orleans were under siege. I know these places are far away, but officers need support no matter where they live and work.”
Back the Blue provides supply kits for officers in all Washington County law enforcement departments. The kits contain items such as tourniquets, handcuff keys, notepads, disposable gloves, hand sanitizer, stress balls, highlighters, pens, and pencils. Perhaps the highlight of Back the Blue’s existence came a couple of years ago when they were instrumental in helping the Greenville Police Department secure a matching grant for body armor. “Our mission is to garner respect for all law enforcement departments and officers by helping buy equipment that is not otherwise budgeted with different municipalities,” Lamberson said. “We have been asked often ‘why do you do this,’ and we always say, ‘who would do it if we weren’t?’”
Another reason why the Lamberson’s continue with their effort is the response that they receive from law enforcement officers. Lamberson saw a man in Kroger bagging his grocery one weekend. He was wearing a t-shirt with an emblem of a police badge. “I asked him if he was an officer and he said that he was,” Lamberson said. “When I introduced myself, his whole expression changed and he smiled and said how appreciative he was for what we do. Most of the officers don’t know Jennifer and me by face, but they know what Back the Blue does.”
Adopting an officer is $25 and Back the Blue will continue with provision of kits until the more than 200 officers in Greenville, Leland, Arcola, Hollandale, and Metcalfe have been adopted. For more information about the program call Debbie Lamberson at (662) 686-2391.
