LUMBERTON, Texas — A group of women in Lumberton is standing together in support of their law enforcement officers.
A now-viral photo shows the wives of police officers arm-in-arm holding flags with the thin blue line. It's the fourth year in a row the group has had a photo shoot to send a message of support to the officers in Lumberton and other areas.
Ashley Strange, one of the wives, is reminding folks that officers are human too.
"They are husbands, they're sons, they're uncles, they are grandfathers, they're daddies," Strange said.
Thousands of Southeast Texans have shown an outpouring of support since the photo that was taken on June 28.
"These officers are so much more than the badge that they wear or the uniform they put on," Strange said.
It's a snapshot that's now an ongoing tradition for the group of Lumberton Police wives.
"A photo shoot kind of got in the mix of it and I contacted Darice. Now the rest is history," Strange said.
For the last four years, the wives have made it their mission to back the blue.
Darice Farris is the woman behind the lens. She owns Darice Farris Photography.
"Ashlee and I work hand in hand to bring her ideas to life. I just put my heart in to it," Farris said.
"I think it's amazing that our officers have such community support and it's not just for our officers but for their families," Farris said.
"To see Southeast Texas blow up and the support had really left us speechless," Strange added. "I hope they feel like the true heroes that they are."
With year number four proving so impactful, the ladies say they can't wait to come up with the idea for next year.
"Oh, next year is our fifth year so we're going to go big or go home," Farris said.