Fresno chaplains hope to show police in positive light

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- In light of the negative sentiment against police officers nationally, a grassroots efforts has started here in Fresno to support law enforcement; it's being called Support Blue Fresno.

Every day hundreds of police officers patrol the streets of Fresno. "It's been recently that there has been a lot of negative focus on law enforcement," said Rodney Lowery with the department's chaplaincy program. "And we've decided we need to talk about the good that's done."

Lowery is director of the Fresno Police Department's chaplaincy's program. The chaplains are a part of a new grassroots campaign called Support Blue Fresno. "It's an effort to bring community and law enforcement and talk about the 99 percent," Lowery said. "The officers who are doing the right thing every day."

Some of those acts we may not hear about, like when officers with Fresno's southeast policing district delivered dozens of gifts to one family for Christmas. Or the three Fresno police officers who were recognized for rescuing a wheelchair-bound person from a burning house.

Lowery says as part of the effort, they plan to team up with the community. "Hopefully, you'll start seeing Support Blue Fresno everywhere," Lowery said. "We've got signs we're trying to get out any businesses they are free. We want them to display them in their business."

They'll also host a community run on February 27. Lowery says the acknowledgment and support means the world to officers.

"Anytime someone expresses what you're doing," Lowery explained. "They acknowledge the risks that go along with law enforcement and the toll it takes on you mentally, physically, spiritually -- it's an encouragement."

This weekend, a Support Blue Fresno video will play at 30 churches across the city, showing what one officer went through during a critical incident.

Although the video will play for one day this Sunday, the chaplains hope the Support Blue Fresno will start a new trend in our community and chaplains hope the program will start a new trend in our community.