Those who encounter officers in the Ironton Police Department may notice they have recently been sporting an addition to their uniforms.

According to police chief Pam Wagner, officers have been issue and given permission to wear enamel pin ribbons representing various causes.

This month, officers are wearing pink in order to honor and bring awareness Breast cancer Awareness Month.

Next month, officers will wear blue ribbons for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and officers are also putting purple ribbons on their cruisers to bring attention to domestic violence issues. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month across the nation.

In addition, to the ribbons on uniforms, officers have taken part in efforts such as attending the domestic violence awareness event at Ohio University Southern, sponsored by the Lawrence County Domestic Violence task Force, and “No-Shave November,” as part of the effort to highlight prostate cancer.

And the efforts are not merely symbolic. The department, like many across the county takes part in an annual “Shop with a Cop” event to make Christmas brighter for disadvantaged children.

Policing is about more than issuing tickets and making arrests and it is good to see the department engaging in efforts such as these to be a bigger part of the community in Ironton.