Citizens in two central Alabama towns have gathered in the past week to show their support for the law enforcement officers that protect their communities.

The people of Wetumpka held a “Back the Blue” rally on Saturday, and members of the public in nearby Prattville had a “Blessings for Blue” event on Thursday.

Prattville Police Chief Mark Thompson told the Montgomery Advertiser, “What’s going on all over the country, it just builds our morale to know our community believes in us and are here to support us.”

The Wetumpka Herald estimated the attendance for the Saturday event at around 100 individuals who came from across Elmore County.

Ashley Carter, who organized the Wetumpka event, told the Herald, “I felt like there was a need for something like this because there’s so much negativity in the world today and I wanted to do something to bring in some positivity.”

Ed Reeves, an assistant chief in the Wetumpka Police Department, remarked to WSFA, “This is an awesome opportunity and we really appreciate it with the state the country’s in right now and a lot of feelings towards law enforcement.”

“It’s good for our officers to know that somebody does still appreciate what we do,” he added.

Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: henry@new-yhn.local or on Twitter @HenryThornton95