TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Two Twin Falls police officers began their trek across Idaho to raise funds for protective armor on Aug. 3.
Shield 616 is a nonprofit that raises funds and provides rifle rated body armor and vests to local police departments across the country. They recently partnered with the Twin Falls police department to join "Border to Border" a five-day journey across Idaho to raise money for the cause.
Two officers, Lt. Justin Dimond and Sergeant Ryan Howe, joined the journey to raise funds for the Twin Falls Police department.
“It’s a great feeling. You get to do something that you love but for a good cause. You get to help others by doing something that you want to do anyway,” said Dimond.
Jake Skifstad started Shield 616 six years ago with a desire to protect law enforcement. He served as an officer for over 14 year and was involved with two active shoot situations. After serving, he wanted to invest his time providing armor for local departments.
“We’ve been able to issue about 6,000 of these vests with rifle-rated armor all over the country. It’s a big number but we have got a lot more to go,” said Skifstad.
The journey will total close to 400 miles from the Idaho-Oregon border to the Idaho-Wyoming border. Each rider also wears a Shield 616 jersey that bears the name of a fallen officer.
“Definitely motivates me a little bit more. It’s better than just, you know, going out riding to ride or riding to win something. You’re going out and you’re hopefully making a difference,” said Howe.
For more information on Shield 616, click here.
