“How can I help?”

Following the tragic murders of Burnsville Police Officers Paul Elmstrand, Matthew Ruge, and Tactical Medic Adam Finseth, many around the state are asking how they can help. 

A financial donation to assist the surviving families is a significant way to help. In many cases, fallen officers were the primary source of family income. There are funerals and other arrangements that few families are prepared to fund. Mortgages, rent, car payments, medical bills — they all continue after the paycheck stops and before any benefits can be accessed. A few organizations are established to step in to help ease these financial burdens.

While there may be many organizations soliciting donations online or by phone — understand that there are some looking to take advantage of the situation. Do your research before donating and be wary of requests coming from texts or phone calls purporting to be from police organizations.

Two local organizations that I am personally familiar with and would recommend to anyone considering a donation are the MN 100 Club and Law Enforcement Labor Services, “The LELS Benevolent Fund, Inc.”

Both organizations are non-profit 501.C3 organizations with proven track records of promptly helping the families of fallen officers. The MN 100 Club has pledged its highest payout of $50,000 to each of the three surviving families in the Burnsville tragedy. 

I recently wrote about one of the unique ways to support our first responders by purchasing specialized license plates. Read that article here.

In addition to supporting our first responders and their families financially, do everything you can in your day-to-day lives to be worthy of the sacrifices they have made. 

Speak out in support of our law enforcement officers. Don’t let narratives of “systemic racism,” or “we need to ‘re-imagine’ policing” go unchallenged. Our law enforcement profession in Minnesota is talented, compassionate, committed, and it stands for what is good in our state. The profession needs us to stand up and fight for the officers — they deserve it.

#BeWorthy