DETROIT – Detroit Police Chief James White said there are no words he can offer to officer Loren Courts’ wife or children to take away their pain.
But there are people dedicated to providing practical help to families of fallen officers.
“There’s a camaraderie in this building,” said Detroit Public Safety Foundation Executive Director Patti Kukula. “Everyone is feeling the loss very deeply today.”
At times like these, Detroit Public Safety Foundation steps up.
Kukula says they have trained police officers who are offering their support.
“Officers last night were working until 1:30 a.m. with the family and other officers who were very, very disturbed and troubled by all of this,” Kukula said. “And today, the peer support team is not only with the family, but they’re also bringing the family food.”
There’s also the Fallen and Critically Injured Officer Fund, where the foundation will pay up to $500 of the following month’s mortgage.
“We will help with the repast and the funeral expenses and other things that may come up unexpectedly for the family,” Kukula said.
Read: Fallen Detroit officer followed his father into police work: ‘Simply loved his family’
While the foundation not only will honor officer Courts’ life by supporting his family but, at a later date, will have an event to add his plaque to the wall of fallen officers in the Detroit Public Safety, which can be seen in the video player above.
“We want to always honor the family for their contribution to the city and to the state in losing their loved one, and this is just a small gift,” Kukula said.
The foundation says there are ways you can help too.
“You can now write a check to Detroit Public Safety Foundation, and in the memo line, you can just put officer Courts in there,” Kukula said.
