Gives Them Shields of Strength Scripture-Inscribed Dog Tags
ST. LOUIS, Missouri (March 24,2021) In a drive to encourage law enforcement officers of the designated Most Dangerous Cities in the US, Army (Ret.) Col. David Dodd, director of Atlanta-based global nonprofit Point 27 https://point27.org/ met officers from several branches of law enforcement at the US Marshals Service Eastern District of Missouri Headquarters Tuesday to honor them.
On behalf of Point 27, Dodd presented gifts of scripture-inscribed Thin Blue Line Shields of Strength dog tags for every officer in their agency to members of the St. Louis City Police Department, the St. Louis County and Ferguson police departments, and federal agents of the FBI, and US Marshals Office. Officers of the DEA and ATL, based in St. Louis, received their dog tags Wednesday.
The dog tags are inscribed with Matthew 5:9: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” The face of the Thin Blue Line Shields of Strength shows an engraved silver American flag face designed with one flag stripe of blue.
John Jordan, US Marshal for the Eastern District of Missouri, hosted the presentation. “In these days when so many are publicly criticizing law enforcement, we are steadfast in sharing God’s Word with them and their families and showing appreciation for their sacrifice and service. We value them,” Dodd said. “I don’t want to imagine where we would be without them.”
Point 27 has honored every fallen law enforcement officer, their agencies and families since 2018, sending gifts of Thin Blue Line Shields of Strengths to the officers who served closely with the fallen; and Folded Flag Pendant Keepsake Necklaces for family members of the fallen. The Pendants are inscribed with John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this; to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Point 27’s national outreach coordinator, a Point 27 volunteer and retired Dallas Police detective is preparing to send Boulder, Colorado Police officers Thin Blue Line dog tags to honor fallen Boulder Police Officer Eric Talley, killed in Monday’s mass shooting; and Folded Flag Pendant Keepsake Necklaces for the family members of Officer Talley, according to Dodd. Point 27’s mission is to encourage and honor every law enforcement officer with God’s Word, Dodd said.
Last month, Dodd presented 2,000 Thin Blue Line Shields of Strength directly to members of the US Capitol Police at the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. “Since 2018, the numbers and nature of reported line-of-duty deaths have made alarming turns. Not only have the line-of-duty deaths increased dramatically, especially last year and this year with the number of COVID-19 officer deaths, but the radical turn in some communities against law enforcement has magnified the need for encouraging law enforcement officers and their families, who are risking so much,” Dodd said.
Dodd commanded a battalion of the first troops deployed to Afghanistan following 911. He wore a Shield of Strength inscribed with Joshua 1:9 next to his government-issued dog tags; and equipped each of the soldiers in his command with a Shield of Strength before they deployed.
Dodd say he hopes the scripture on the Thin Blue Line Shields of Strength encourages these officers as the Joshua 1:9 dog tags encouraged him.
Dodd served 27 years and four deployments in the military. After his military retirement, he founded Point 27, in 2014, to share the scripture-inscribed dog tags, that encouraged him and his troops, with members of the military and veterans. Since – at the request of the law enforcement community, the outreach has expanded to include the Thin Blue Line Shields of Strength for law enforcement officers.
Point 27 has distributed hundreds of thousands of Shields of Strength including high-volume gifts in partnership with the national organizations: Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS), Tragedy Assistance Program for [military] Survivors (TAPS), Patriot Guard Riders, Carry The Load and the Gary Sinise Foundation.
