St. Cloud Sun

Sen. Jerry Relph congratulated Congressman Tom Emmer for recognizing the important role of Minnesota law enforcement officers through his #ThankACop initiative.

"This effort recognizes the good work that many departments are doing to build solid police/community relations," Relph said in a Facebook post. "St. Cloud has been a leader in this effort with many programs that build the strong relationship with the community."

Emmer said while the public debates issues of police reform, the goal is simple: To take a step back and realize what peace officers do for the community every day, according to WCCO.

Since the death of George Floyd, state police are suffering from low recruitment rates and low morale. In the meantime, violence has spiked in the Twin Cities. Emmer said it's now more important than ever to show gratitude and appreciation to law enforcement officers. 

“Everyone knows a law enforcement officer, and they come from all different backgrounds and beliefs,” Emmer said. “We just want to encourage people to recognize law enforcement officers for all that they do.”

The campaign will highlight individual officers from across the state on a weekly basis.