Sean Collier’s family releases ad in support of police
Amid nationwide calls to defund the police, Collier’s family hopes the ad shines a light on officers’ humanity.
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The family of an MIT police officer who was killed in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings is calling for more public support of law enforcement.
A photo of the fallen officer, Sean Collier, fronted a full-page newspaper ad over the weekend as a way of highlighting police officers who protect and serve their communities with integrity.
Family of @MIT Officer Sean Collier – killed by the marathon bombers – pushes for public support for police. pic.twitter.com/Aon03fMs87
— Drew Moholland (@DrewWBZ) September 18, 2020
As many across the country rally to defund the police, Collier’s family told WBZ-TV that they don’t want people to forget officers’ humanity.
“These are everyday average people that have families, that have spouses, that have children to go home to,” Collier’s sister Nicole Lynch said. “And their only hope is to help somebody. I think that’s getting lost at this time.”
The ad, which appeared in the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald, was co-sponsored by a collection of different law enforcement organizations such as the Boston Police Detectives Benevolent Society, Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers, and the Fraternal Order of Police.
Lynch told Boston 25 News that she didn’t intend for the ad to have any political agenda.
“There really wasn’t a purpose in the timing. It doesn’t have anything to do with the election,” she added. “It just is something that’s been weighing heavily on our hearts and minds.”
While she acknowledged a need for some police reform, she told the station that she believes officers are not getting enough support.
“They are serving us as citizens,” she said, “And if we can even get one person to sit back and think about that for a moment, I think that we achieved what we were looking for.”
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