Photo via facebook/Leesburg Police Department
The Leesburg (Fla.) Police Department is helping raise awareness for Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a pink-and-white police car. The department’s traditional black-colored decals are switched with a hot-pink design complete with pink ribbons in support of those impacted by the disease. The police car hits the streets today.
Police officers will use the vehicle on patrol throughout the month and also appear with the car at special events.
Leesburg-based Hunter Signs — a business that specializes in vehicle artwork and other customizations — donated all the materials and services to decorate the 2014 Dodge Charger Pursuit cruiser for the police department. All the exterior graphics including the department’s name and shield are redesigned with the recognizable pink colors.
The police motto “Serve and Protect” was replaced with “Prevent and Detect” to encourage breast exams and other preventative care to fight cancer. The new decal design will be displayed throughout October and will be replaced when the month is over.
“We want to reach out to members of our community who have been affected by breast cancer,” said Leesburg Police Chief Rob Hicks. “With diseases like this, it does not matter who you are — it will affect most people at some part of their life. This is something we can rally around as a community.”
Photo courtesy of City of Orlando
The City of Orlando is also supporting breast cancer awareness with its own pink Dodge Charger Pursuit vehicle. As part of its partership with the University of Florida Health Cancer Center, the center paid for the pink wrap materials and services for the Police Department's police car. The vehicle debuted Oct. 1 and will be used throughout the month for patrol and at special events.
Feedback from the officers and the public about the vehicle have been positive, Daryl Greenlee, fleet manager, stated.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer officially proclaimed the month of October as “Breast Cancer Awareness Month” in the City of Orlando.
Police vehicles aren't the only first responders to go pink for breast cancer awareness. Earlier this year, Prince George's County in Maryland added a pink ambulance and pink pumper truck to its fleet.
Edited 10/2/14 with information about the City of Orlando.
