Third annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Banquet

Tonight, the Hancock County community came together to honor our men and woman in blue at the Bay St. Louis Community Center.

This is the third annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Banquet put on by the Waveland Community Unity Organization. This event sheds light on not only law enforcement, but also our firefighters, EMS, life-flight, MDOT, and Mississippi Department of Marine Resources.

Clarence Hall, the chairman of the event, tells News 25 this event was started because of the officer involved shooting in Baton Rouge that happened two years ago. “We felt sympathy towards the officers and you don’t really remember them unless you need them. You don’t really think about them unless you need them. So, once that occurred, we decided to do this because we wanted to recognize the officers who go beyond the call of duty, not come to work, but take their job actually serious.”

Twenty-one awards were presented tonight to Hancock County public servants.