Bay Area police officers honoring "Pink Patch Project" in support of breast cancer awareness

OAKLAD, Calif. (KTVU) - The “Pink Patch Project” is a public awareness campaign engineered by law enforcement and structured to bring attention to the fight against breast cancer while also supporting related research organizations working to combat the disease. 

Officers throughout the Bay Area can be seen sporting a pink badge on their arm in support of the project. Chrisiti Amaral of the Oakland Police Department is one of them, and she’s been an integral part of the movement. 

“I have a sister that passed away in 1989 from breast cancer, so this of course caught my eye,” Amaral said.

It started back in February when Amaral was given a pink patch by another department. Fueled partly by a personal connection, she started doing research with Southern California’s Irwindale City Police Department, which started the project in 2015.

Officers wear the patch during the month of October to raise awareness for breast cancer, and all cancers. The visible badge offers an opportunity for a dialogue to be opened up within the community and a discussion is a vital component for raising awareness. 

“It’s showing that we (officers) are human, that we’re all hit by this tragedy,” Amaral said. “And it opens the conversation with others to let them know we’re not just in this uniform. We all feel and hurt just like anyone else.”

The patches are available for public purchase. Those interested should reach out to Officer Amaral at camaral@oaklandnet.com