North Carolina Sheriff Putting ‘In God We Trust’ On Police Vehicles — Does It Violate The First Amendment?
A North Carolina sheriff is putting decals bearing the words “In God We Trust” on the back of all county vehicles, the latest in a long line of small-town police departments to do the same, despite concerns that putting the saying on police cars may be a violation of the First Amendment.
As WNCN (Goldsboro, North Carolina) reports, Rutherford County Sheriff Chris Francis has been wanting to put the decals on county police vehicles “for months,” but he’s had difficulty coming up with the money. Enter Pastor David Ledford of Fairview Baptist Church in Golden Valley. Ledford’s church has ponied up the money for the decals and will pay for new ones as new cars are added to the fleet.
Thanking the church for their donation, Sheriff Francis also noted his opinion that police cars are the perfect place for the nation’s unofficial motto.
“I am very appreciative of the church’s donation that has allowed this project to get underway. I wholeheartedly believe in our nation’s motto and am proud that it will be displayed on the Rutherford County Sheriff’s vehicles.”
In fact, Rutherford County is just the latest police jurisdiction to add “In God We Trust” to police vehicles.
@pearlskylar1 “In God we trust” is on many police vehicles and we are thankful for that! #P4P always!???????????? ~M pic.twitter.com/n2wsQREJzo
— Blue Ribbon Walk PA (@BlueWalkPoconos) January 29, 2016
According to the Washington Post, “In God We Trust” decals and stickers have been placed on police cars in Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, and other states. And in most of those places, the addition of the stickers has generated at least some degree of controversy.
In Stone County, Missouri (about 50 miles south of Springfield), Sheriff Doug Rader added the stickers to county police cars after getting the idea from another Missouri sheriff. And in a Facebook post that would go on to be shared over 36,000 times, Rader defended his decision to add the stickers.
“I am proud to announce that all of the Stone County Sheriff’s Office Patrol vehicles now have ‘In God we trust’ on the back. This became our National Motto in 1956 and is on all of our currency. There has been no better time than now to proudly display our National Motto!”
And in Bay County, Florida, in the Panhandle, Sheriff Frank McKeithen said he began putting the “In God We Trust” decals on police vehicles because he believes that police have been unfairly portrayed in the media lately.
“It’s just right now it seems like in our country law enforcement has been painted with a brush that we’re bad guys.”
Not everyone is impressed with putting the word “God” on government vehicles, however. Since July 2015, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) has been sending letters to police departments with the stickers, asking them to remove the stickers because, as the FFRF sees it, they violate the First Amendment, which says that government cannot endorse religion.
“FFRF reminds the agencies that citizens trust law enforcement officers to attend to their secular duties, not spend taxpayer time placing religious messages on patrol cars to the exclusion of the 23% of Americans who are not religious.”
And in Florida, a handful of protesters complained that the “In God We Trust” stickers crossed a line between church and state, a line that they said should not be crossed, according to protester Wesley Wilson.
“Society works better when state and church are kept separate because it creates a fair and equal place for all of us to live.”
Do you think it’s OK for police departments to put the words “In God We Trust” on police vehicles? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
[Image via Facebook]
