Death in the line of duty is a daily risk faced by police officers, regardless of where they serve. This risk increases exponentially in areas where violent extremist organizations operate. These organizations seek to take advantage of vulnerable populations, and thrive in rural towns and villages where security forces are often overstretched. This tragic reality can be seen in a number of places around the world, and none clearer than in Somalia. A police station outside of Mogadishu, Somalia has been attacked twice in the last nine months, leaving one officer dead and three wounded. These recent attacks add to the shocking statistic of 20% of the city’s police force have been killed in the past five years. These attacks, perpetrated by the al Qaeda aligned terrorist group al Shabaab, aim to combat the peace and security which the officers risk their lives to create. A US Special Operations team is working to help combat these threats; however, they aren’t resourced to provide this type of assistance to their security partners. For this reason, they identified this critical need that must be addressed if long term progress is to be realized. To better protect the Somali police force, Spirit of America is in the process of building a 10-foot high wall around their police station to increase security and prevent future attacks. This effort will not only keep officers safe, but will provide a secure place for the citizens of the city to work with the police. This collaboration between the population and the police is necessary for change to be realized.

Your generous donations will make the construction of a 410 foot-long wall surrounding the local police station possible. In addition to protecting the brave police officers of Somalia, the wall will commemorate the fallen officers that have lost their lives in the line of duty. Inclusion of the slain officer’s names on the wall will serve as a somber reminder of sacrifices rendered in the hope of a better future. The thin blue line that holds back chaos and allows order and civilization to thrive stretches around the world, and it needs your support.