Officers Gifted Active Shooter Gear Kits Following Deadly Shootings
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - The members of Church for All Nations in Colorado Springs did what they do every Sunday - they gathered to worship and pray for the world and everyone in it.
"Prayer can make a difference, and we are going to take this murder rate and all this insanity going on in our nation and bring it down in Jesus' name," said Pastor Mark Cowart in his sermon.
On Sunday, the congregation invited extra special guests to their service; 55 police officers to honor them for their service.
In the span of five weeks, Colorado lost three law enforcement officers in deadly shootings - leaving the community shaken.
"God has really blessed our nation with the greatest law enforcement. I know our media has a way of just putting a bad light on everything but I'm telling you we are blessed," Cowart said.
The church joined Shield 616 to give Colorado Springs police officers active shooter gear which includes a rifle proof vest, ballistic helmet, ballistic glasses and a gunshot wound medical kit.
Jake Skifstad is a former law enforcement officer. He says he got the idea for the gear kits after the 2007 New Life Church shooting in Colorado Springs.
"I was being interviewed by one of the local media and they said, 'Do you really think you can make a difference in this hostility that we're seeing toward law enforcment?' and I said 'I don't think I can on a national level, but I do think I can make a difference here in Colorado Springs,'" he said.
All of CSPD's 700 officers now have these kits, and Skifstad is working to get them to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, but it wouldn't happen without the generosity of the community that cares.
"This is just amazing. It's so far above and beyond what a lot of other communities experience," Colorado Springs Police Chief Pete Carey said.
After the kits were passed out, the community at the church had one more gift for the officers - the most powerful tool they know of to keep people safe.
Prayer.
"We pray special protection over all of our law enforcement officers," Cowart said.
LINK: Shield 616 Website
Michael Abeyta is a 4th generation Coloradan and a Multimedia Journalist for CBS4. His stories can be seen on CBS4 News at 5 & 6. He is on Twitter! Follow him @AbeytaCBS4.