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COMMUNITY SUPPORT Turning the town blue Central Point residents have been putting blue bulbs in their porch lights as a show of support for police Comment By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Jul. 19, 2016 at 4:52 PM Updated Jul 19, 2016 at 4:59 PM By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Jul. 19, 2016 at 4:52 PM Updated Jul 19, 2016 at 4:59 PM » Social News A Central Point family is encouraging local residents to "turn the town blue" for the month of August in a show of support for local law enforcement. Bewildered by recent police shootings and anti-law enforcement sentiment cropping up on social media, Sandee Galligan, a recent transplant from Colorado, is reaching out to her new neighbors. "It was basically the morning of the Baton Rouge shooting, and my daughters and I were talking about how much it sucks to be a law enforcement officer in today's world," said Galligan, a mother of three. "It seems like there's a huge target on their backs. We were talking about ways that we could show that we support them, so we posted on the Central Point (Facebook page) asking if anybody had any ideas." Within hours, Galligan and other followers of the "What's Happening" Central Point Facebook group had come up with a viable plan — install blue bulbs on front porches to show support for members of local law enforcement. Galligan started by changing her three outdoor lights to blue bulbs. Her hope is that officers driving down her road at night will see the blue bulbs as a gesture of support and appreciation. Galligan's 17-year-old daughter, Samantha, said she hoped the support would mean something to officers "putting their lives on the line" for others every day. "It's important that local police officers feel supported by the communities they protect. With everything going on, it puts everyone on edge, but especially police officers," said the teen. Central Point Police Department Capt. David Croft said his department has been touched by the variety of ways people have shown support in recent weeks, from treats and cards dropped by the department to online messages and the gradual appearance of more and more blue bulbs. "We've always had great support in our community, and it's especially touching right now," said Croft. "I think we're really fortunate to live where we live, where obviously the climate is a little different. It's a great gesture and just a great representation of what kind of people we have in our community." As of Tuesday, Ray's Food Place had 500 blue bulbs on order, and Bobbio's Pizza plans to give away free bulbs to delivery customers and customers who ask for a blue light special. Bobbio's owner Rick Deates said he had 500 blue bulbs on order and hoped to see "a couple thousand" blue lights around town by Aug. 1. "It feels like things are just going nuts nationwide, and even though we are lucky to live where we live, we thought we could do this just for their morale. Obviously, being a law enforcement officer is a dangerous job, but lately there are a lot of men and women more likely to wonder, 'Am I going to go home tonight?' " Deates said. "What's sad is that probably 5 percent of the community causes 95 percent of the problems. I think, as a whole, people support the job that police officers do to keep us safe. My hope is that an officer out on patrol, driving down a street in Central Point ... they'll see the blue lights on all the houses and it'll make them feel good or just make them smile. "This is just a small gesture and a way we can let them know that what they do is appreciated." Reach freelance writer Buffy Pollock at [email protected] By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Jul. 19, 2016 at 4:52 PM Updated Jul 19, 2016 at 4:59 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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