At least 150 people gathered in front of the Anson County Courthouse on Thursday night for a candlelight prayer service for law enforcement officers.
Each department was given a wreath full of ribbons representing people who had prayed for the officers. The Morven Police Department was given a wreath from Morven Baptist Church, the Lilesville Police Department received one from Red Hill Baptist Church, and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol was given one by Wingate University and Autumn Care Nursing Home in Marshville.
The Wadesboro Police Department received a wreath from First Baptist Church in Wadesboro, and the Polkton Police Department was given one by Harmony Community Church in Peachland. The Anson County Sheriff’s Office received a wreath from Lilesville Baptist Church.
One last wreath was given to Sheriff Landric Reid and his wife Cassandra by Clerk of Court Mark Hammonds and his wife Linda on behalf of New Home Baptist Church.
Lilesville Chief Bobby Gallimore also remembered the service of K-9s. “There are fallen officers, but we also have fallen K-9s, who are a very vital part of law enforcement and should be recognized, as well,” he said. He gave Anson County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Donald Jenks a collar for K-9 Intra. Intra joined the force just weeks after K-9 Benny was put down in 2013 after being diagnosed with untreatable bone cancer.
The event was organized by those closest to the officers. Jennifer Norris, whose husband is the chief of the Polkton Police Department, said that there are about 10 spouses and significant others of law enforcement officers who have a Facebook page and decided to hold an event.
Sarah Moore, whose husband is also a local law enforcement officer, was one of the organizers. “We wanted to do something for the sheriff and his wife, but we thought it was too soon, so decided to do something as a community event to kind of bring everybody together with all of the negativity that’s in law enforcement right now,” Moore said. The group came up with the idea of the wreaths. They started the wreaths, then gave them to the donors, who prayed over the officers and tied the ribbons on.
Although the event was barely advertised, over 150 officers and civilians showed up. “Most of the law enforcement agencies said they would try to have somebody here,” Moore said. “We didn’t know that we would have the amount of law enforcement here that we had.” She said the group plans to make this an annual event.
The sheriff appreciated the group’s effort. “You can see the result — just look around out here at what these young ladies did,” Reid said. “It’s Police Week, and we would like to thank all of our spouses, significant others, brothers, girlfriends, boyfriends; we would like to thank you for all you do for us to send us off and welcome us home each day. Because as I was saying earlier, this is not an easy job, and the way that things are going on in the world today, we have to be careful what we do. So we have to watch one another’s backs, we have to be safe, and an important thing: when you check 10-41 every day, you check 10-42. That’s the most important thing.”
In police code, 10-41 means beginning duty, while 10-42 means ending duty.
Hammonds thanked God for placing all present in an area with law and order, and asked him to protect law enforcement officers. “Lord, when that final 10-42 comes, we ask that they be standing in your presence,” he prayed.
Officers from the Anson County Sheriff’s Department, Wadesboro Police Department, Polkton Police Department, Morven Police Department, Lilesville Police Department, Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office, and the Norwood Police Department were present.