Friends,

This is a quick note to tell you about a non-profit with which I am working. It is called Shield 616. You can go to the link and get the whole story of who they are and what they are doing but I’m going to give you the Cliff Notes version.

Everybody knows that when SWAT rolls out they have all the protective gear they could possibly need. This includes vests with armor plates that will stop bullets from high powered rifles (typically Type III). This kind of goes with the territory. Let’s face it, these guys are rolling into a high threat environment and they know it, so they can be prepared.

But what about the average patrol officer on traffic duty or responding to a domestic disturbance one of the myriad of other calls that can be expected of our LEOs. The best they can be expected to be wearing is a Type II soft vest under their shirt. These are only rated for 9mm +p or .357 magnum, and that only covers their torso. Granted, the average patrol officer doesn’t need the Type III protection every day, and may not need it during an entire career (that is the best case). But in today’s world the patrol officer on duty has the same chance of needing it every time he deploys on his daily rounds. The odds don’t go up or down any time during his shift.

Please don’t misunderstand me, I am not making this a ding against our local law enforcement agencies; far from it. We, the tax payers, give them $X a year to operate and they do an outstanding job of allocating those funds. But the reality is that there just isn’t enough money to do everything they have to do and buy Type III armor for the patrol cop.

Shield 616 has the mission to remedy this situation. They have set up a program with the armor manufacturer for a discount just for this purpose. We, as citizens, can donate to this effort by sponsoring an officer. You can do so for as little as $25. Of course, you can donate as much as you would like and there is no minimum donation. Everything helps.

Support groups such as Shield 616 make up a major “got-your-back” network to let our LEOs know that they are not alone. Our officers put themselves on the line every day for us and our lives are definitely safer and better for it. It is well worth our time and money to help them out.