Jason Rantz Show listeners raise over $20K for new SPD mourning badges
Jun 10, 2020, 5:07 PM | Updated: 9:50 pm
The Jason Rantz Show listeners are raising money for new mourning badges that the Seattle Police Department is asking officers to switch to if they want to honor fallen colleagues. Each badge is $70. Rantz was hoping to raise $1,000 but he it took off.
He and his listeners were able to raise over $20K on Wednesday in just under 3 hours. Check out the link if you want to donate.
According to the donation page, Rantz wrote:
“I am buying one mourning badge for a Seattle police officer. The city caved to protesters — but the policy allows them to wear this specific mourning badge. You’ve asked how you can help so here’s an easy way. Join me in supporting our police. Give what you can.”
$70 for one badge, $140 for two, $700 for 10, and so on.
Rantz: Seattle push to ban ‘mourning band’ day after looters murder St. Louis cop
Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best sent a directive to the department on June 4 ordering all officers to have their badge numbers prominently displayed. Best said that the mourning band must be placed horizontally so that an officer’s badge number is not obscured.
The directive came after a week of protesting in downtown Seattle. Mayor Durkan mentioned on the steps of City Hall on June 3 that many of the complaints to SPD were that officers’ badge numbers were hidden due to the mourning band placed on badges.