A Tennessee church has opened up the coffers and has given local police officers $1000 each, with the hope that their act of appreciation would “help to stem the tide of antagonism toward law enforcement, and show our police personnel that we need them to be there when we call in the middle of the night.”
Lighthouse Pastor Perry Cleek told The Christian Post:
We have heard the news reports of entire police departments suffering from a debilitating lack of morale. In many places in America, local governments are signaling their support for those who are attacking law enforcement by defunding their local police.
We wanted to make a bold statement in support of law enforcement. Our desire was for our action to send a symbolic message of our support to the Jonesborough Police, but to also show our support in a very practical way by recognizing and supporting each individual employee.
The Pastor took the stage and said in his speech that it was time to take a stand, that not all police were bad, and that the vast majority were good, but were being treated as bad.
“We are here today to express that gratefulness. I feel like we speak for hundreds and even millions across this great land who are ashamed and horrified at the way our law enforcement personnel have been treated…
Chief Street and all the personnel of the Jonesborough Police Department, you have our appreciation, our encouragement, our support. And our church wants to show that with more than words.
After the speech, Mr. Rodney Metcalf, chairman of the Deacons at Lighthouse was then introduced and presented to Chief Ron Street an envelope containing a check for $1,000 to each individual member of the Jonesborough Police Department, totaling $23,000.
