Police Appreciation Ideas
We don’t have to wait until Police Appreciation Day to show our law enforcement they matter. No matter what is going on in our culture or society, taking time to show our appreciation for first responders. There are a few key dates we have in the U.S., such as Law Enforcement Appreciation Day on January 9 and Thank a Police Officer Day is typically the third Saturday of September. National Police Week is in May. No matter what time of year it is, sometimes you just want to thank a police officer, so we have a list of our favorite gift ideas for police appreciation.
Police Appreciation Quotes
These quotes are an easy addition to any card or tag for your police appreciation gifts.
“Thank you for fearlessly protecting our community and putting your life on the line every day.”
“Your dedication to preserving law and order is greatly appreciated. Thank you for keeping our neighborhoods safe.”
“We are grateful for your unwavering commitment to serving and protecting. Thank you, police officers!”
“I’ve always seen first responders as unsung heroes and very special people because, when everyone else is running away from danger, they run into it.”
– Dwayne Johnson
“In times of distress, you are the calm in the storm. Thank you for your invaluable service.”
“We appreciate your tireless efforts and the sacrifices you make to protect and serve. Thank you, officers!”
“Your compassion and commitment to justice make our community stronger. Thank you for your service.”
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
-Fred Rogers
Thank You Gift Ideas for Police Officers
Police Appreciation Day gift ideas don’t have to be extravagant. Just taking a bit of time to say thank you to police officers can go a long way. Once I eating lunch and I heard a police officer mention the day shift had gotten an appreciation luncheon, but he felt left out being on the night shift. If you do an appreciation activity for your local police station, make sure to include enough for the night shift too!
1. Write a letter
Send a letter to the newspaper editor or to individual departments to thank police officers for their dedication to the community.
2. Baked Goods
Put together a plate of cookies or doughnuts and take them to your local police stations. Include a thank you card to be displayed by the treat.
3. Pay for their Meal
If you see a police officer while you’re out for lunch pay for their order. You’re sure to make their day!
5. Donate
There are many organizations that assist injured police officers or go toward memorial services for police officers and other first responders.
6. Volunteer
Offer your services around the offices, especially in small towns without much of a budget. You could offer to plant flowers, do some housekeeping, organize office supplies or fulfill other needs in honor of Police Appreciation Week.
7. Coordinate a potluck lunch
You could do one big lunch for all the police departments or host several small lunches for the separate locations, depending on the size of your town. Coordinate with the city, co-workers or friends and family to make a meal and serve lunch to the community helpers. This is not only a great way to thank them, but it’s a valuable opportunity to volunteer with your team, too! Make sure you coordinate for the evening shifts too!
8. Class projects
As a class project, you could have your students draw pictures, or write a thank you note to their favorite first responders. You could also host a lunch and invite the police officers to eat lunch in the class.
9. Gift Baskets
Load up a gift basket with pens, hand warmers, hand sanitizers, coffee gift cards, beef jerky and snack bars. These items are fairly inexpensive, but could be ‘life-savers’ any day!
10. Stay Safe
Law enforcement has such a bad reputation these days, which is truly unfortunate given the hundreds to thousands of times they’ve put their lives on the line to keep us safe and no one notices. Truly, the one thing they want is to keep us safe, staying out of trouble would be the best gift of all.
Police Appreciation Day Gifts
Patrol Car Seat Organizer
A police officer’s patrol car is his office. And just like any office, it can get messy if it’s not properly organized. This car organizer has access to the stuff he needs to do his job: traffic citations, arrest affidavits, policy manuals, flashlights, extra cuffs, and ammunition magazines, so it’s easy to find and grab.
Cool Cop Vest Cooling System
Body armor gets hot fast. The Cool Cop Body Armor Air Conditioning system provides fast relief with a hose contraption that channels cool air from the patrol car’s AC and sends it under the officer’s vest while he’s sitting in his car. There are also undershirts and a Cool K-9 for their partner’s paws.
Heavy Duty Phone Case
Police men have a fast pace, action packed makes it easy for phones to be dropped or broken. Good cases can make sure they’re not out of communication or replacing their phone every other day.
Custom Cuff Links
The unique silhouette of a badge makes the perfect palette for engraving. These engraved police badge cufflinks make the perfect gift for law enforcement officers everywhere.
Dart Game
This wood dart cabinet comes with official licensing for true enthusiasts and is perfect for any Police Department.
It comes with all the components necessary for a great game session with friends. These include a self-healing board in sisal fiber, six darts with steel tips, a score board (dry erase), marker, out chart and mounting equipment.
Bulk Police Week Gifts
If you’re looking for ideas for the whole police department, check out some of these bulk gift ideas for police officers.
Thin Blue Line Paracord Key Chain With Card
This paracord key chain is symbol of preparedness, survival, and pride, the paracord can be unraveled in case of an emergency. It also has a thin blue strand as a symbol of law enforcement. It is a perfect bulk gift idea for your local law enforcement.
The Thin Blue Line Steel Tumbler
This tumbler keeps drinks hot or cold for several hours and has a snap-on, spill-resistant, thumb-slide lid with rubber gasket, perfect for any police car.
Hand Warmers
Hand warmers are inexpensive and a great addition to any gift basket or to use as bulk gift idea.
Playing Cards
These playing cards could be gifted to an individuals or given to the police station, but they feature the Back the Blue and Honor, Courage and Respect logo.
Thin Blue Line Beverage Can Cooler Sleeves
These insulated thin blue line can sleeves prevent the cold from escaping ensuring you have an ice cold beer in hand.
Appreciation Gifts for Police Officers
It’s so important to spend just a moment to appreciate our police officers, who risk their lives every day to keep us safe. Comment with your favorite gift idea for police! Don’t forget to appreciate our nurses, first responders and say thank you to our teachers!
Don’t forget to pin these gift ideas for later!
