But officers such as Derek Chauvin, convicted of murdering George Floyd, and others who commit heinous crimes, are in the minority; they do not represent the majority of police officers, Dell’Aria said. The majority of officers are ethical, they protect their communities and they hold each other accountable. Therefore, the community should rally around those officers, and bad ones should be prosecuted, he said.
“That was something that I want to make sure that the good guys knew, that we support them and we want to keep them around,” said Dell’Aria, a former corrections officer.
About 400 people, including police officers and their families, attended the service. The rally kicked off with a video, which showed images of officers around the country helping people in their communities, as the song “Hero,” by Hilary Weeks, played in the background.
Moments later, Dell’Aria asked all retired and current officers in the audience to come to the church’s stage. About 40 officers from various departments in the area, including Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Miami Twp., West Carrollton and Miamisburg, were in attendance.
“Moraine Heights and our community want every officer to know that we stand with you, and you are special to us,” Dell’Aria told the group just before issuing each one a bible. “The truth of the matter is that I don’t care how upset people get, you’ll always know that on top of the hill in your community, we stand with you.”
Miami Twp. Police Chief Charles Stiegelmeyer also addressed the crowd. In these trying times, he said, he’s had conversations with many of his officers who are struggling because of the anti-police sentiment in the country. But he encourages them to remain committed to their jobs, and continue to serve the community despite the uncertainties and the criticisms.
The rally ended with a video tribute of the more than 100 officers around the country who have died in the line of duty this year.
Jared Stevens, a Miamisburg resident and Moraine Heights Baptist Church member, commended the church for honoring the law enforcement officers. It was put together in an honorable way, and he choked up several times from a spiritual standpoint, he said.
Officer William Drew Olinger of the Miami Twp. Police Department said he was thankful for the rally, and it’s good see the community show support for police officers, although “at the end of the day we always know that they do.”
“Even since the Oregon District shooting, you still see the ‘Thank you’ signs on businesses; people do appreciate it,” he said. “I always say, you don’t always do it for the people that are against you, do it for the people behind the curtain; they support you. Even for those that aren’t here today, there’s still so many people out there that are like minded and supportive.”
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