Spirit of Blue Foundation Adopts A-TACS Camouflage as Official Pattern Family
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – September 12, 2013 – The Spirit of Blue Foundation is proud to announce that it has adopted the A-TACS LE pattern of law enforcement camouflage as its official camouflage pattern. A-TACS Camo has seen great success with its military oriented AU and FG patterns, which are utilized by some SWAT and tactical teams who serve in more rural areas. But, the new A-TACS LE pattern was specially developed for the needs of urbanized law enforcement. A-TACS Camo will be donating a portion of all sales of the new A-TACS LE patterned materials to the Spirit of Blue Foundation to fund Safety Equipment Grants to law enforcement agencies nationwide.
“A-TACS joined on early as a Safety Equipment Grant sponsor in 2011, even before they really had much of a law enforcement presence. They did it because they were so supportive of what we were trying to accomplish and they cared a lot about those who dedicate their lives to service,” commented Ryan T. Smith, Vice Chairman of Grants & Sponsorships for the Spirit of Blue. “When they approached us with this new LE pattern, and wanted to give a portion of every sale to the Foundation, we were humbled. We are going to make a great impact with their ongoing donation.”
The A-TACS LE Camo pattern combines various shades of grey, blue and black and utilizes the trademark “organic pixel” look developed by A-TACS Camo for its original A-TACS AU Camo pattern. A-TACS LE also incorporates variable angles and urban forms derived from real-world photography that effectively utilizes an even blend of light and shadow to create unique patterns with a slight horizontal flow. Additionally, A-TACS LE Camo was developed to work with variable combinations of black or blue nylon gear and other equipment allowing municipalities and departments the option to easily upgrade their gear on an “as needed” basis, gradually phasing in new items while still maintaining a cohesive and uniform appearance. For more information visit: http://www.a-tacs.com
“We’ve had a great working relationship with the folks at the Spirit of Blue Foundation for the past several years and have been looking for ways to make a greater contribution to the good work that they’re doing,” said Phil Duke, Co-Owner and Pattern Developer for A-TACS Camo. “With A-TACS LE Camo being so closely tied to Law Enforcement both in its development as well as its implementation, taking the relationship between both of our organizations to this next level of involvement just seemed like a natural fit. This is something we believe in, and we are extremely excited to see where it goes from here.”
The Spirit of Blue Foundation works nationally to support the Law Enforcement community through the award of Safety Equipment Grants, funded by both private and corporate donations. So far the Foundation has awarded Safety Equipment Grants to the following agencies in 2013: Revere (MA) Police Department; Georgia Bureau of Investigation; and Winter Springs (FL) Police Department. Seven additional Safety Equipment Grants are in the acceptance process and should be awarded prior to the end of the year.
2013 preliminary statistics released by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, in conjunction with Concerns of Police Survivors, reveal the number of U.S. law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty so far this year have totaled 63, a modest 9% percent decrease from the same period in 2012. Firearm-related deaths reached 19, a decrease of 30% for the same period. While progress is being made, the reality of these statistics and the increasing number of underfunded law enforcement agencies across the country fuel the Spirit of Blue safety grant initiative.