CINCINNATI, Ohio —Nearly 1,000 Cincinnati police officers are changing what they wear and what their dogs are wearing to help mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

  • Cincinnati Police officers are trading in their gold badges and patches for pink ones
  • Even the bomb-sniffing dogs are wearing pink collars
  • It’s all to bring awareness to the illness after breast cancer took one of their own

It’s on their arms, chest, on top of their head—but it’s not just a fashion statement.

At the Cincinnati Police Department, the chief says it’s personal. 

“We’ve lost so many, last year we lost my classmate and a member of our command staff Captain Kimberly Williams to breast cancer,” said Chief Eliot Isaac, Cincinnati Police Department.

It’s the part of the reason these police officers are trading in their gold badges and patches for pink ones.

“It is a very good attention-grabber and it brings up that conversation, and we’re looking for opportunities,” said Isaac.

And, for the first time, they’re taking breast cancer awareness one step further — to the K-9 unit. 

The bomb- and drug-sniffing police dogs are wearing pink too. 

“Putting this collar on an animal that’s already garnering a lot of attention, it’s gonna spark a lot of conversations about cancer awareness,” said Don Meece, K-9 officer, Cincinnati Police Department.

And they’re not alone.

“We have agencies from Oxford, Oxford PD, Montgomery PD, and Cheviot PD,” said Meece.

Police departments are putting pink on their dogs and uniforms across the state, all an effort get people talking — and giving. 

“Wanna make sure that we can help raise funds, that we can totally eradicate this,” said Isaac.

Police officers make a donation for the badges and patches, and part of the money goes to research. 

They’ve also teamed up with charities to make that fashion statement to raise money for a cause.

“This coming Saturday, October 5, at the Montgomery Inn Boathouse, we’re doing a fashion show… fashion for a cure,” said Isaac.

And it doesn’t end there.

Isaac says they’re planning to do more events to try and raise money to fight breast cancer.