While holiday lights sparkle on lawns and in houses, lone blue lights are visible in some windows as a tribute to the police officers who have been killed in the line of duty. Through Project Blue Light, citizens pay tribute to fallen police officers while showing support for their surviving families, and their law enforcement “families” who continue to work.

So far in 2012, 110 police officers have been killed in the line of duty; one from Tennessee, according to the Officer Down Memorial website. La Vergne Police Chief Mike Walker says every single day police officers face different challenges and every single day law enforcement officers put themselves in harms way to ensure traffic safety, to investigate reports of crime, and to protect lives and property.

The blue light displayed in a window or on a porch during the Christmas season signals that you remember those who lost their lives while serving the public. You also let their families know that you remember them and you hope for another year of safety for officers who are still serving.

A national organization called Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. or COPS for short sponsors the national event and invites citizens and law enforcement agencies nationwide to put one blue light in their window during the holiday season. COPS provides resources to assist in the rebuilding of the lives of surviving families and affected co-workers of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.

The idea for Project Blue Light began in 1988 when Dolly Craig wrote to COPS that she would be putting two blue candles in her living room window that holiday season in memory of her son-in-law and daughter whose deaths left six children without parents. Since that time, the program has spread nationwide.

Battery operated candlesticks can be easily found online or at local hardware or other retail stores. Placing a blue bulb in them will serve as a community reminder that police officers protect and serve, putting their lives on the line every day.