VALDOSTA – The City of Valdosta honored the Valdosta Police Department Tuesday morning for Law Enforcement Appreciation Day.

Officers lined the stairs of the Valdosta Police Department as Interim City Manager Mark Barber and Mayor John Gayle spoke about the department and the good its employees have done for the community.

“One thing that makes this police department special is the community engagement that takes place, whether it’s Shop with a Cop, the police academy or the youth program the chief is starting coming up here shortly, it’s just refreshing to turn on the TV and see the City of Valdosta Police Department and the positive attributes being displayed by our police department here, especially seeing what is going on nationwide with other police departments,” Barber said.

Mayor John Gayle read a proclamation, declaring Jan. 9 to be Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, then asked Chief Brian Childress to say a few words.

“We got a 96 percent approval rating last year from our community,” Childress said. “Does that mean we are perfect? No, it doesn’t. When I go out and look at other agencies, that’s not always the case. In fact, usually what you see is 78-80 percent. A lot of that is the folks behind me and the hard work and professionalism they have, but a lot of that is also community support.”

Citizens may show their appreciation of law enforcement on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day in a number of ways, such as:

• Thank a police officer.
• Wear blue clothing in support of law enforcement.
• Send a card of support to your local police department.
• Write a positive letter to the editor of the newspaper.
• Share a story about a positive law enforcement experience on person social media pages, and tag Valdosta, A City Without Limits.
• Show your support through local media outlets.