San Antonio Jeweler Recognizing the Sacrifice of Law Enforcement

NRA’s Law Enforcement Division was created in the 1960s to provide law enforcement agencies with the best in firearms training. Since then, their services have expanded to included armorer schools, skills competitions and benefits for those on the job. Benefits that include those who fall in the line of duty.

Many organizations do the exact same thing. There is one in San Antonio, for example, that provides families of the fallen with a symbol of honor at no charge at all.

“We learned about Detective Putnam through our contacts in the Law Enforcement community,” said NRA Law Enforcement Director Glen Hoyer. “It’s an incredible story.”

Detective David Putnam, retired from the San Antonio Police Department, operates a jewelry store called SA Diamonds. Offering everything from rings to money clips and charms, Putnam specializes in the memorialization of badges. He’s been making this jewelry for so long that he has a badge (in the form of a pendant) for almost every jurisdiction in the United States. But it’s what he’s been doing with those pendant over the years that merits recognition.

Whenever a police officer falls in the line of duty, whether from Indian River County, Florida or Phoenix, Arizona, Putnam goes to work. He creates a pendant of the badge. That pendant (or pendants) is shipped the next day to the survivors of the fallen officer. There is no charge, no call for recognition, no membership required — except a membership in the brotherhood of law enforcement.

It’s a simple act of kindness. From one law enforcement family to another.

Upon hearing about this gesture, Director Hoyer made contact with Putnam. He extended his thanks, shared a few stories and ended up placing an order of his own. He then went a step further.

“We think it’s something our Law Enforcement members would appreciate,” said Hoyer. “So we’re giving it a try.”

What they’re trying are Putnam’s pendants … like the one you see above.

So if you’re part of NRA’s Law Enforcement community, and you have an interest in a gold or silver pendant made by SA Diamonds, send Hoyer an e-mail at LE@nrahq.org and put in the subject line “NRA LE Necklace.” If enough emails come in, then NRA Law Enforcement will make those pendants part of their regular collection.

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