New Social Media Campaign Supports Police All Over N. Texas And U.S.
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MANSFIELD (CBS11) - "My friend had put it on Facebook," Diane Folmar said as she pulled a long piece of blue ribbon from a spool and cut it to match the pile of ribbons in front of her.
The reason she is here at the Mansfield Justice Center with about a dozen other volunteers is a story repeating itself across north Texas.
"I texted and said, 'If you need any help just let me know,'" she said.
Social media is rallying people to "back the blue."
"It's just a good cause," Folmar said.
Their social media led to a massive blue ribbon campaign. Volunteers folded the blue pieces and attached them to pins to hand out around.
Online, North Texans are reacting to deadly attacks on police and stories that officers are now afraid to wear their uniforms at home.
"As a police officer, there's a safety factor that goes along with your family," said Mansfield Police Chief Tracy Aaron. "And I think that they think about that."
"That part just made me think, 'Wow! You are a target if you wear a badge,'" Folmar said.
On Twitter, DFW Scanner is asking people to wear blue on Friday, the day they'll bury a slain Houston deputy.
A Fort Worth woman is asking people on Facebook to show up with flowers in Sundance Square at 11:00 a.m. on Friday.
Cleburne police tweet they're seeing an outpouring of support and people anonymously paid for officers lunch.
And in Mansfield, volunteers found online go through more than 800-yards of blue ribbon as they prepare their show of appreciation.
"Its everybody coming together showing their support for our officers," Folmar said. "And letting them know that they are loved by their family members, by our local community and we don't want anything bad to happen to them. Those are the people that we called to help when we are in need."
Also, Friday at 11:00 a.m. law enforcement officers across the state have been asked to turn on their lights in honor of the deputy killed in Houston (his funeral is at 11:00 a.m.).
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