Popular Yard Sign in SE Minnesota Calls for Supporting Police

Turns out one of the most popular campaign signs popping up suddenly across southeastern Minnesota has nothing to do with party politics or a candidate. Maybe that explains the popularity of the yard signs prominently featuring a not-so-thin blue line across the face with a simple, yet stirring message: “Support local law enforcement.”

The popular campaign aims to raise funds to erect a memorial in Soldiers Field Park in Rochester honoring the 31 police officers slain in the line of duty in the region over nearly 150 years. Dakota County Sheriff Scott Rose, vice chairman of the Dodge County Sheriff Scott Rose, the vice chairman of the foundation behind the drive, can hardly keep up with demand, according to local media reports.

At $20 a pop, each sign sold means about $15 for the memorial fund. And those signs have been going like hotcakes.

Rose said the signs are not just a fundraiser in this time where some are calling for police departments and sheriff’s offices to lose funding in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.

“They also give the public the opportunity to show their support for law enforcement,” Rose said.

The public show of support has taken on a momentum of its own with some advocates involved in distributing thousands of the yard signs. It’s hard to keep the popular placards in stock.

Knud Jorgensen, owner of DanAm Sata Spray Equipment in Spring Valley, has taken his support for law enforcement beyond watching videos or buying a single sign. He has purchased thousands of the signs from a vendor and sells them at cost – he gave away his first batch for free, but the response was so great he needed to cover his costs – to the public.

Jorgensen said when he’s done he will have spread the support message with about 6,000 signs mostly in Fillmore and Mower counties. In the current political climate, he said, the police need to hear that the majority of the public supports their work.

“They need to be told they’re doing a great job,” he said.

What a concept. Instead of tearing down statues and memorials in support of law and order, clearly residents in this part of Minnesota want to make a stand and do just the opposite. The elected officials in the Twin Cities who want to dismantle law enforcement agencies might consider heeding their advice.

Terry Regnier, of Zumbrota, said he and his wife Angela plan to purchase 10 signs from Rose’s office.

“A lot of our friends wanted them,” Regnier said. “I think only a fool would want to defund the police. I don’t think a couple of bad seeds anywhere represents the police community in our nation.”