According to the web site of the Concerns of Police Survivors, Project Blue Light began in 1988 when the surviving mother-in-law of a Philadelphia (PA) police officer killed in the line of duty told COPS that she would have two blue lights in her window for the holidays, one in memory of her son-in-law and one in memory of her daughter, the officer’s widow, who had been killed in a car crash that year. COPS adopted this idea as way that everyone could honor the officers who serve and protect us while remembering those who have been killed in the line of duty. Project Blue Light has grown steadily as a way of remembering our departed law enforcement officers across America and beyond. The concept is a simple one. Place a single blue light in your window in memory of fallen officers. At this time of year, ornamental light fixtures, such as candlestick replicas, are easy to come by and serve this purpose well. Replace the (usually) white light bulb with a single blue bulb, and place it in a window where it will be seen. Most people won’t know its significance, but the ones to whom it matters most, will.

Agencies across the country are staging their own Project Blue Light ceremonies, where officers can gather for a few minutes in remembrance and fellowship. Most who have taken part in these ceremonies have reported that they are intensely moving and make them more mindful of the best traditions of policing, and the need for their personal vigilance to insure their safety and survival.

This isn’t costly, it doesn’t require traveling any farther than to the variety store, and it doesn’t telegraph any police relationship to the bad guys. It’s our way of telling each other that we remember the sacrifices of those that have gone before us. Support Project Blue Light.