Dodi Browett chose to donate to the Bogalusa Police Department, because she wanted to take action to change the anti-law enforcement sentiment then sweeping the nation.

“The negativity and hate against law enforcement got to be so bad, I took it upon myself to do something positive about it,” she said. “My thoughts and feelings are to fight negativity with positivity. I felt like if we could wear our support, it would make a statement.”

Not wanting “to overstep (her) bounds”, Browett came up with a few T-shirt designs and went to Mayor Wendy Perrette for approval.

“And that’s where my journey began, “ she said. “We went back and forth on a few designs, and narrowed it down to two designs to start. Then we added three more designs as time went on.”

Browett initially paid for every shirt. Then she started selling.

“I would set up in front of Tractor Supply in Bogalusa on Fridays and Saturdays for the majority of the day to sell shirts, and I also had them available at the Washington Parish Fair,” she said. “After figuring how much I had to pay for each shirt by the color, style, size, design, taxes, etc., I was able to figure a price for each shirt.”

Browett said that all law enforcement officers who wanted shirts got them at cost.

But no matter the price of the individual shirt purchased, Browett took $2 from every shirt, sold and unsold, and donated $520 to Bogalusa Police Chief Kendall Bullen for the BPD on Tuesday.

The chief expressed his “deep appreciation” shortly thereafter.

“Police Officers and their families across the country have been changed forever because of senseless and tragic acts of violence against police officers,” Bullen said.

“We are fortunate to be policing in a community where there is the type of caring you have demonstrated. Your actions make a demanding and frustrating job a little easier to do, knowing people like yourself truly appreciate the work our great police officers do.”

He said the donation would be used to improve community relations in the city.

Browett said law enforcement officers from the Louisiana State Police, Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, Covington Police Department, and other agencies have purchased her shirts.

“They couldn’t understand why nobody else was doing something like I was,” she said. “I even had a few sales out of state.”

She said health issues kept her from continuing to design and sell the shirts for a time. But now she’s back, and she believes her project is working. The shirts are being noticed.

“I do feel that the statement I was trying to make was noticed both in a positive and negative way,” Browett said. “I was cursed at on numerous occasions and even had a few individuals drive up right next to my truck in blacked out cars and SUVs.

“Thankfully the time I felt most threatened a Washington Parish Sheriff’s Deputy was pulling up behind the car to pick his shirt up he had ordered, and the car moved on. I never saw it again.

“On a positive note, I was thanked every day I was out there by civilians.”

Browett said she would have two new designs, as well as some of the original designs, of her “Blue Line” T-shirts available to purchase at the Family Fest in Goodyear Park from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 1. She plans to be located near the BPD set-up.

See the weekend edition of The Daily News for the final story about recent donations to the city of Bogalusa.