COLUMBIA (WACH) -- A bulletproof vest is credited with saving the live of a Columbia Police Officer who was shot in the chest Wednesday morning. Read the full story here.
Columbia police require all of their officers to wear the vests, but not every department in the Midlands can afford the life saving tools.
Officials say the vests can range from $600 to $1,000 each.
Michael Letts runs Invest USA, a company that raises money to buy vests for departments that can't afford them.
"Currently in this country, and it is typical within the communities that we live in, almost half the police officers today to either have a vest that is out of warranty or out of date, doesn't work properly or has no vest at all," Letts explains.
He adds budget cuts have made it especially difficult for smaller police departments to afford purchasing bulletproof vests.
Click here if you want to make a donation to Invest USA.
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