City of Denham Springs employees Joan LeBlanc, Jeannette Landry and Valerie Archer work on bows in honor of law enforcement. The bows hang in various parts of downtown Denham Springs.
Denham Springs Main Street Program coordinator Donna Jennings puts the finishing touches on a ribbon along a pole at Train Station Park. The ribbons serve as a tribute to law enforcement personnel across the nation.
DENHAM SPRINGS – Employees from the City of Denham Springs used what has recently become a rare commodity to pay homage to police officers throughout the area and across the nation.
Municipal workers took time to create blue-and-black ribbons that now adorn the city’s downtown area.
The ribbon project followed the ambush shooting of seven law enforcement officers July 17 at the B-Quik convenience store on Airline Highway in Baton Rouge, along with a July 7 sniper attack that killed five officers in downtown Dallas.
“We want to show our support to all law enforcement across the country and try to unify our community,” said Donna Jennings, who oversees the city’s Main Street Program.
City employees tied the 100 ribbons along areas at Old City Hall, Train Station Park, Driggers Park, Centerville Park and the Antique District.
The city hoped to tie the ribbons all across the city, but they ran into a dilemma.
“We couldn’t find any stores that still had blue-and-black ribbon,” Jennings said. “Right now, it’s hard to find anywhere – everyone is using it to show their support for officers.”
Three Livingston Parish residents – Officers Montrell Jackson and Matthew Gerald of Baton Rouge Police Department, and East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Deputy Brad Garafola – died in the shootout. Deputy Nick Tullier remains in critical condition and BRPD Officer Bruce Simmons was released July 21.
Tullier and Simmons are also residents of Livingston Parish.
