Chief Joseph Desmond is pleased to announce that members of Wilmington Police Department are participating in Breast Cancer Awareness Month by wearing specially designed pink patches on their uniforms. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease. “We are honored to wear this patch in recognition of the thousands of individuals who are affected by breast cancer each year”, stated Chief Desmond.

The patch, which is a modified version of the traditional WPD Patch, features a pink ribbon and the text “Overcome Through Courage & Strength.” It was designed by Officer Emily Stebbins who came up with the idea three years ago after seeing other agencies participate in the Pink Patch Project. The Pink Patch Project originated in 2013 with the Seal Beach Police Department in Southern California when Officers there wore pink patches on their uniforms during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The idea took off and now hundreds of law enforcement agencies across the nation participate in the project, including 96 agencies in Massachusetts. The purpose of the Pink Patch Project is to bring attention to the fight against breast cancer and to support breast cancer research organizations in combating this devastating disease.

This year, the Wilmington Police Department will be supporting the Wilmington based Hope and Friendship Metastatic Breast Cancer Foundation. Patches can be purchased by the general public at the front desk of the Wilmington Police Department for $10 each. 100% of the proceeds will go to the Foundation. For more information, contact Officer Katie Goodwin at kgoodwin@wpd.org.

 

(L to R) Deputy Chief Brian Pupa, Chief Joseph Desmond, Heather LoRe, (Founder of Hope & Friendship), Officer Katie Goodwin, Officer Scott Dunnett

 

 

Wilmington Police Department Participating in the Pink Patch Project