BROOKINGS – Brookings area residents lined city boulevards along Sixth Street and Third Avenue Saturday morning as law enforcement officers and their supporters traveled in the first-ever Back the Blue parade, an event hosted by the Brookings Police Department Foundation.

Attendees showed their gratitude and support for the officers along the parade route, then joined the group for a rally back at the police department.

“This is a small number of the men and women who work hard to keep our community safe,” organizer Julie Erickson said of those representing law enforcement agencies at the rally at the BPD.

Reading a proclamation at the rally, Mayor Keith Corbett thanked officers for doing a “difficult and dangerous job, quietly risking so much for each of us. … We appreciate that the Brookings Police Department keeps our community safe by preventing crime, enforcing the law and supporting public safety by delivering respectful and professional service.”

Corbett then proclaimed Oct. 17, 2020, as Back the Blue Day, thanking the brave members of the law enforcement community for the sacrifices they make while demonstrating fairness, integrity, decency and patience.

Erickson said supporting officers translates to support for their families, as well, “because the things that they deal with affect us, also. It is imperative that we as a community are not afraid to show our support to these men and women for what they do. Keeping our department strong keeps our community strong.”