Minnesota deputy's wife collects 8,000 thank-you cards for police

It's National Police Week, a tradition that's over 50 years old and honors the individuals who keep their communities safe. It's no secret that police agencies and officers have been under fire in the wake of officer-involved shooting deaths, but a Wright County woman has tasked herself with gathering notes from Minnesotans who want to ensure officers are appreciated.

Putting their lives on the line

As the wife of a wright county sheriff's deputy, Liz Gerads know how difficult being a police officer can be.

"I think once Ferguson happened he started to see a different type of attitude when he went out to do his job, The way people interacted with him, you could see it on his face," she said.

That's why she started "Operation: Thank an Officer" with the goal of collecting 200 thank you cards to give to every deputy in Wright County.

Instead, she received nearly 8,000 cards from all over the country, enough to drop off several hundred to St. Paul police during roll call, and to send one to every other police officer in the state.

"I wanted to make people aware that there are lot of people who support law enforcement than don't and we want to recognize them for putting their life on the line every day," she added.

While officers were on call for service in one of the city's neighborhoods, an anonymous person left a note on a squad car. The note said "Thank you for your service, #WeSeeYou," a hashtag on Twitter used to recognize and thank officers for their service nationwide.

"The officers returning to their squads saw the note from a distance and assumed it was a complaint. Instead, the note brightened their day," Eden Prairie police said on their Facebook page.