Ashland County officers get BBQ meals during National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day event

“Just a little way of showing support,” said Ashland County Prosecutor Chris Tunnell while greeting officers of various agencies from around the county in the sheriff’s office annex.

The national day of appreciation, started by Concerns of Police Survivors, aims to thank police officers by hosting events, wearing blue and turning on blue lights at homes. It was first observed in 2015, following the 2014 officer-involved shooting of Michael Brown — an incident that sparked scrutiny of police officers.

Friction between police and the public has only grown since then. Law enforcement agencies around the country have been forced to reckon with charges of systemic racism and their handling of nearly every case.

As a result, officers are more stressed than ever and many have resigned.

A Police Executive Research Forum survey taken from 184 police departments in 2022 found that resignations were 43% higher in 2021 than in 2019, and that retirements were 24% higher.

It is unclear if retirements in Ashland County among law enforcement officers is spurred by higher levels of stress — but officers on Monday felt supported and seemed relaxed, if only for a moment.

“The support is overwhelming,” Tunnell said. “Sometimes we have other officers from different metro areas come here for different reasons and they say, ‘Wow, what a difference.’”

Tunnell said jury pools of between 40 and 60 people frequently show support and express positivity toward law enforcement when asked.

“We’ll have maybe one or two people who actually verbalize a negative view of law enforcement,” he said.

Jered Moran, a natural resource officer for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said he works out of six courts in the area and Ashland County is his favorite.

“I know the prosecutor’s going to back me up. They pursue criminal charges when necessary and don’t when it’s not,” he said.

Curtis Hall, an enforcement deputy for the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office, said there is a mutual respect between agencies and the public.

“It’s because we’re part of the community. We’ve got sports coaches here today,” he said, pointing generally to his colleagues as he took a bite of his pulled pork sandwich.

“I mean, these people are part of the community. That’s the way it should be.”

Sheriff E. Wayne Risner said his office’s duty every day is to earn the public’s respect.

“We don’t just expect it, we expect to earn it,” he said.

So what's the secret to keeping Ashland County's appreciation of law enforcement?

"Officers in the past who have built strong relationships with the people here," said James Coey, a detective for Ashland Police Division.