Local police recognize vanity plates. In fact some towns provide the police with a list of office holder, board and commission members’ plates. The officers tend to be a bit more lenient with these. It is easier to recognize and remember a vanity plate such as CTL-ESQ (NOT MINE, made up for this post) than a sequence of 8 random numbers and letters.
The CT 100 club was founded about 40 years ago. 100 citizens pledged $100 per year to help support the families of state troopers wounded or killed in the line of duty. The members get a Bronze medallion that mounts on the car. Over the years membership has expanded and the yearly donation has gone up.
Does it support a good cause? Yes
Do officers sometime ignore minor infractions because there family might benefit if tragedy strikes? Possibly
The second is not why I belong. I originally joined after being asked to contribute towards the cost of hearing aids for an elderly police widow who recived a tiny pension. I thought it was a proper cause to support.