This man is on a mission to improve the morale of police officers locally and nationally

CLEVELAND — Leo Tully is a man on a mission, a mission to boost the morale of police officers.

“I was inspired by all the things that happened in 2020. “The riots, the protest, and you know what really upset me was they burned our police cars here in Cleveland,” Tully explains.

That’s when Tully decided to join a Facebook group Adopt a Cop, which asked for cards to be sent to police officers.
“I went to Walmart and looked for cards, but I couldn’t find anything to thank the police or other heroes, so I decided to make my own,” Tully explains.

That’s when Tully said Card for Cops was born. He now designs, prints and cuts approximately 2,000 cards per month for those who protect and serve.

For Tully, it’s a labor of love. “It makes my day, it’s the wind beneath my wings, it’s my purpose, my purpose in life, it’s what I do,” Tully explains.

Tully mails or delivers cards monthly to approximately 50 departments in Northeast Ohio and across the country.

University Circle police officers are among those receiving the monthly card.

“He’s sending the message that someone cares, that I care too, and that means we have to go along with it,” said Chief Tom Wetzel of the University Circle Police Department.

Wetzel said this act of kindness goes a long way for officers. He said three times as many officers die from suicide compared to on-duty deaths.

“For us, these are small acts of love, and they really go a long way,” Wetzel said.

Tully gets more from giving than receiving, but he cherishes the thank you cards, photos and police patches he has received from grateful officers across the country.

Tully pays for each card himself. But now that the 66-year-old is retired, he says he may have to cut back on the number of cards he sends because they are expensive.

However, the cards he sends will still be filled with love and support, not only for police officers, dispatchers and police personnel, but also for firefighters and veterans.

“They’re my heroes,” Tully said.