Last week, when Debbie Adlam, Andrew Harper’s mum, went to feed the Robins who had gathered outside her front door, she noticed something on the floor directly beneath her that had a faint tinge of blue on it.
When Debbie took a closer look, she noticed a large black feather that had a distinctive and striking blue line through it.
For the police community, their family, friends and supporters, the ‘thin blue line’ represents the sacrifices which have been made by the brave men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
The ‘thin blue line’ emblem is set against a black backdrop, and the same applies to the other ‘thin lines’ which represent the ambulance (green), fire (red), search and rescue (orange) and prison service (silver).
The ‘thin line’ emblems act as a reminder that the brave men and women who serve in the emergency services and other ‘front line’ services – such as the prison service and security services – are often all that stands between relative order and complete chaos.
We are talking about brave and selfless individuals like PC Andrew Harper, who was killed on 15th August last year.
PC Harper and his colleague, PC Andrew Shaw, responded to an urgent call for help that was made by someone who had just been burgled by three balaclava-clad career criminals who decided to help themselves to his £10,000 quad bike.
They armed themselves with an array of weapons after they decided that they would not let anyone get in the way of their truly evil and wicked conduct.
PC Harper and PC Shaw had already worked several hours of overtime that fateful evening, responding to emergency calls which were made by members of the public and colleagues who needed urgent help.
And as PC Harper and PC Shaw made their way back to their police station, they responded to one last call for help. It was a call that would cost brave and heroic PC Andrew Harper his life.
When Andrew’s mother, Debbie, found the feather only last week, she felt that it was a gift.
She felt that it was a sign; a message.
Debbie and her family had been thinking about how they can make Andrew’s legacy become a catalyst for change.
Anyone who has lost a loved one will know that these sort of ‘gifts’ and synchronicities are incredibly precious. They help to alleviate the pain that is felt when a loved one passes over to the other side. They can bring comfort.
Debbie picked the feather up, and it has now become the official emblem that represents Andrew’s family’s efforts to introduce an ‘Andrew’s Law’ that will hopefully one day mean that anyone who is convicted of killing a member of the emergency services will spend the rest of their natural life behind bars.
Because we owe it to the men and women who risk their lives to keep us safe, to ensure that the evil entities who are responsible for such acts are kept out of society.
If there were more people like Andrew in this world and fewer people like the individuals who killed him, then this world would be a much, much better place.
To stay up-to-date with news and updates regarding ‘Andrew’s Law’ then you can follow the ‘Andrew’s Law’ Facebook page by clicking HERE. You can also keep updated by following ‘Andrew’s Law’ on Twitter
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PC Andrew Harper | Born 22nd March 1991 – died 15th August 2019 | #RIP
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