Law Enforcement personnel have been getting a lot of negative publicity as of late due to the actions of a few police officers.
While it the actions of these individuals is appalling, that does not mean all police officers and Sheriff’s deputies are terrible people. Kari Wallander, the wife of Manitowoc Police Captain Matt Wallander, has teamed up with Jessica Wegener, spouse of Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Deputy Nick Wegener to form “Hearts for Law Enforcement”.
This is a community effort encouraging citizens to write kind messages to police on their handmade hearts that will be displayed at several police and the Sheriff’s Department. Wegener tells SeehaferNews.com that the idea came about in part over a cup of coffee. She explained that they had seen several different Spouses of Law Enforcement Facebook groups doing some things on a national level, but wanted to bring it to Manitowoc, as a more local event.
Both women admit these have been tough and stressful times for their families in lieu of violence and rioting against law enforcement. Wallander became emotional as she said “It can be really hard to see what these guys (and women) go through…so I thought it was really important to stand up for them in a way that is positive.”
Despite the stories thouhgout the country of distain between police and their communities, Wallander says that the relationship between local citizens and the police is fairly solid. “We need to focus on the positives of all the differences we have,” she said. “Police officers work with those.” She explained how her husband has adapted to the community, saying that he has learned some Spanish, and learned about the Hmong culture to better understand some of the citizens he vowed to serve and protect.
Wegener leads a support group “Shielded Hearts” that focuses on the mental health and well-being of law enforcement spouses. She also works as a Forensic Case Manager helping offenders integrate successfully back into society.
Citizens are encouraged to be creative and have fun and feel free to take pictures before mailing or dropping off your projects. Drop off locations are the Manitowoc or Two Rivers Police Departments, The County Sheriff’s Department or the Manitowoc Public Library or you may mail to P.O. Box 5522 De Pere Wisconsin 54115. The deadline is Friday July 24th.
