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The ADVANCE, February 10, 2021/Page 12A
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Fallen Alamo Police Officer Honored by Point 27
Global nonprofit Point
27 has honored fallen Al
amo Police Officer Arturo
Villegas, who died Janu
ary 10 from complications
of COVID-19 after a pre
sumed exposure while on
duty
Point 27, based in At
lanta and headed by Col.
David Dodd, U.S. Army
(Ret), honored Villegas
by sending Thin Blue Line
Shields of Strength scrip
ture-inscribed dog tags to
those officers who served
closely with him; and folded
flag pendant necklaces to
family members of the fall
en officer.
Villegas is one of at least
five law enforcement offi
cers across the country that
died from COVID-19 after
exposure in the line of duty
this year.
The 59-year-old
Toombs County resident
died on January 10 in Or
ange Park, Florida. Villegas
grew up in Texas and moved
to Toombs County in the
1990s. He started his career
in law enforcement with the
Lyons Police Department,
served briefly with the Oak
Park Police Department,
and joined the Alamo de-
partmentin 2019. Villegas is
survived by six children and
four grandchildren.
Since 2018, Point
27 has honored every fallen
law enforcement officer,
their agencies and families.
Keeping up with the
escalated number of line-of-
duty deaths has proven to
be a struggle for the global
nonprofit. Point 27 is based
in Atlanta, a city where the
public outcry against law
enforcement continues to
ring out.
Line-of-duty deaths in
law enforcement have risen
dramatically, Dodd said,
adding, “The radical turn in
some communities against
law enforcement has magni-
Officer Art Villegas
POINT 27 FOUNDER — Retired U.S.
Army Col. David Dodd, above, initi
ated the Atlanta-based organization
which honors fallen police officers. The
organization honored the late Art Vil
legas, an officer with the Alamo Police
Department.
fled the need for
encouraging law
enforcement of
ficers and their
families, who
are risking so
much,” Dodd
said.
“In these
days when so
many are pub
licly criticizing
law enforce
ment, we are
steadfast in
sharing God’s
word with them
and their fami
lies and show
ing apprecia
tion for their sacrifice and
service. We value them,”
Dodd said. “I don’t want to
imagine where we would be
without them.”
Dodd commanded a
battalion of the first troops
deployed to Afghanistan
following 9/11. 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 be
fore they deployed. Dodd
said he hopes the scripture
on the Shields of Strength
encourages these law en
forcement officers and the
families of the fallen who are
making and have made tre
mendous sacrifices for their
communities.
The face of the Thin
Blue Line Shields of
SHIELDS OF STRENGTH
— Officers who served
with Art Villegas received
Thin Blue Line Shields of
Strength, like those above.
Folded flag pendant neck
laces were given to family
members of the fallen of
ficer
Strength shows an engraved
silver American flag face de
signed with one flag stripe
of blue. The back of the dog
tags is inscribed with Mat
thew 5:9," Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they will
be called children of God."
The design and scripture
were chosen by law enforce
ment officers.
The folded flag pen
dant necklaces are engraved
with John 15:13; “Greater
love has no one than this; to
lay down one’s life for one’s
friends.”
Dodd served 27 years
in the military. After his
military retirement, he
founded Point 27, in 2014,
to share with members of
the military and veterans the
scripture-inscribed dog tags
that encouraged him and
his troops. The outreach
has expanded to include
the Thin Blue Line Shields
of Strength for law enforce
ment officers.
Point 27 has distrib
uted hundreds of thousands
of Shields of Strength in
cluding high-volume gifts in
partnership with the nation
al organizations Concerns
ofPolice Survivors (COPS),
Tragedy Assistance Pro
gram for [military] Survi
vors (TAPS), Patriot Guard
Riders, Carry The Load and
the Gary Sinise Foundation.
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