Suburban Officers Show Support During Pride Month

ELGIN, IL — A suburban police department is stepping up to show its support for the LGBTQ+ community during June, which is PRIDE month.

Several officers with the Elgin Police Department have opted to pay for a patch, which has a rainbow border that can be affixed to their uniforms. One squad car will also be "wrapped with a message of support," said Robert Tornabene, public information officer for police department.

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The police department is hoping their efforts will help spread a message of "inclusivity and diversity."

"This month you may see officers wearing this patch on their uniforms to show support and to recognize PRIDE month," according to a June 1 post on the police department's Facebook page. "(The) EPD continues to learn, grow, embrace and show our community not by our words but by our actions, that we are here to serve and protect everyone with honor and respect."

The police department spearheaded similar efforts in 2018 and 2019, but took a break last year amid COVID, Tornabene said. The reaction from the community regarding the patch and the squad sticker has been mixed.

"There's been a little bit of negative, but more positive than negative," Tornabene said. "People are never going to be 100 percent behind what a police department does. We have had a couple comments that are negative, but overall people have been relatively positive and supportive of effort."

If you are looking for events happening during Pride Month in Elgin, check out the Elgin Pride website.