Starting tonight, the pedestrian bridge in downtown Gainesville will glow blue in observance of National Police Week.
Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch coordinated with the City of Gainesville to make it happen.
“Lighting the bridge blue is a small, but meaningful way to demonstrate our respect for Sheriff’s Office fallen and for law enforcement community-wide,” Couch said in a release.
Gainesville City Manager Bryan Lackey thanked Couch and the Sheriff’s Office for including the city in the recognition of who he called the “community’s law enforcement heroes.”
“I can think of no better way than to utilize this iconic public structure in the center of our community to maximize our reach in acknowledging the importance of these brave men and women,” Lackey said.
Some members of the Hall County Sheriff’s Office planned to travel to Washington D.C. for the 2021 observance to honor the service and sacrifice of HCSO Lt. Brian McNair and Deputy Nicolas Blane Dixon, but it was canceled due to COVID-19. The trip was rescheduled for October, but Couch said the week still needed some recognition.
“While we plan to make the journey to D.C. later this year, I thought we needed to do something local and immediate,” Couch said. "...I greatly appreciate Mr. Lackey and the City of Gainesville for its willingness to light the bridge blue.”
The blue lighting will last until May 15.
To honor those who died in the line of duty, the Sheriff’s Office invites the community to visit its Headquarters grounds, where its own marble memorial stands in front of the building.
