COLUMBUS, Ohio — Residents across central Ohio are replacing their regular light bulbs with blue ones as a way to celebrate National Police Week. It's how people are honoring officers with Light Ohio Blue.
The annual statewide campaign aims to honor law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty and their surviving family members. It's also designed to show support for current law enforcement officers across Ohio.
Since last year, nine law enforcement officers died in the line of duty. More than 800 names are on the state memorial at the Ohio Peace Officers Memorial in London and more than 22,000 names on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C.
The Light Ohio Blue campaign will have its annual Cruiser Caravan on Tuesday. It will start at the Columbus State Delaware Campus located at 5100 Cornerstone Drive in Delaware. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost will give remarks at the event and an honor guard and bagpipers will be present.
The Cruiser Caravan will depart from the Delaware campus at 6:30 p.m. and travel to locations within central Ohio.
“We just need something to bring the community together to realize the sacrifice these men and women make every day. They don't know if they are going to come home at night,” said Lee Ann Behnen, an event organizer who has been with the organization since 2016.
Behnen's husband is a Columbus police officer and knows the sacrifice he and their family has made for the community.
“Just a small signal and a show of appreciation by putting a light bulb in your fixture outside means something to them,” Behnen said.
Ohioans are encouraged to change their home exterior lights to blue to show support.