IPD officers wear ribbons to raise awareness

Ironton Police Department officers are sporting ribbons for good causes.

Ironton Police Chief Pam Wagner said that officers have been issued and given permission to wear enamel pin ribbons on their uniforms.

This month, they are wearing pink ribbon pins because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“We want to bring awareness to that cause,” she said, adding that the cause is personal to her. “I have friends and family that I have lost to breast cancer. And we have workers here in the city that are breast cancer survivors.”

Officers were also given permission to put purple ribbons on their cruisers.

“Those are domestic violence awareness ribbons,” Wagner explained.

Next month, officers will be issues blue ribbons for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

“And as we have for the past several years, we will participate in ‘No-Shave November,’” Wagner said. “That is part of a fundraiser for that cause.”

Officers will pay a small sum so they don’t have to shave.

Wagner said that the ribbons are simply to bring awareness to public issues.

“Domestic violence is a crime,” she said, adding the department works well with the Lawrence County Domestic Violence Task Force. “Of course, I attended their awareness event on Tuesday at Ohio University Southern.”

She said the police department deals with domestic violence calls all the time.

“We want to bring awareness to that and hopefully, help someone,” Wagner said.

The domestic violence ribbon campaign goes beyond just the cruisers, trees outside the Ironton City Center and other places around town have been decorated with purple ribbon.

“Mayor Katrina Keith, city workers and members of our department have put ribbons on trees and sign posts to bring awareness to the issue as well,” Wagner said. “We get at least one call daily about domestic violence. And it spikes around the major holidays.”

She said Ironton has been blessed that there has not been a domestic violence death in a few years.

“And we are hoping that the trends continues,” Wagner said. “We don’t want any assaulted or harmed in any way.”