Back the Blue rally aims to support police officers

Red, white and lots of blue.

If you drove through Frankford Avenue and Cottman Sunday evening, you would not have missed the hundred or so strong rally to support police officers taking place in the summer heat.

"My husband is mounted police and I worry about him every day."

Current and retired officers, friends and family members like Judy Toth, a PPD wife for 26 years.

"I sit home and I wait. I wait to hear and I wait to see."

Ralliers wearing t-shirts and waving American flags hope to raise morale among law enforcement after a summer of protest, anger and violence.

"I felt they needed community support and to know there's a lot of good people in Philadelphia that stand behind them."

Donna Didonato is a retired cop from the 22nd district of Philadelphia. She organized the rally after seeing coverage of the Dallas and Baton Rouge shootings in which a total of 8 police officers were murdered last month.

The event comes at a time of heightened tension between supporters of police and advocates outraged by police involved deaths of unarmed African Americans around the country. There have been protests throughout the city this year by Black Lives Matter and other civic and church groups calling for systematic reform within law enforcement.

Judy has a simple message for her the officers she calls her extended family in blue.

"Keep doing your job and do it with dignity and honor and keep God in it all the time."