Violence against police in other parts of the country have led husbands and wives of law enforcement officers in Bedford County to start a new support group.
“If you watch the news, police officers are getting a bad reputation for things that they do,” said Kathy Hatcher, who has watched with great concern as protests have erupted over police conduct in other cities.
It’s been especially unsettling for her to see some of those incidents turn violent.
“There will always be bad eggs somewhere along the line, but I know here locally we have good officers,” said Hatcher, whose husband has been a Bedford County sheriff’s deputy for 17 years.
“We as wives hear the stories at home and we are there to support our husbands,” Hatcher said.
And their support is expanding. Hatcher and other spouses recently started a Bedford chapter of “Wives Behind the Badge,” a national outreach group.
They’re doing everything from small gestures like goody bags filled with candy and placed in officer’s mailboxes, to larger acts like a cookout that was held last weekend.
The group of wives and husbands is providing encouragement for both the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office and the town police department.
“It gives all the officers an opportunity to have time with their wives that they may not have had, and it gives them time to spend with other families that are understanding of what they’re going through,” said Chief Todd Foreman of the Bedford Police Department.
The group isn’t just supporting the officers. It’s also a way for the spouses to support one another.
“They need someone to chat, discuss, or even cry with,” said Bedford County Sheriff Mike Brown.
Especially during these turbulent times.
“This gives us a large group to stand behind and support (the officers), and let the public know that we’re behind them,” said Hatcher.
Facebook Page – Wives Behind the Badge – Bedford Auxiliary
Original Link Story – WDBJ7
