This August was a tough month for law enforcement officers. In a report released today, August was the second deadliest month of the year, with 14 police officers killed in the line of duty, according to the Law Enforcement Fatality Report. In total, 76 law officers have fallen in the line of duty since Jan. 1, 2012.
You can find a list of all officers killed in 2012 at the Officer Down Memorial Page.
Texas had the most deaths with six fatalities, followed by North Carolina, Colorado and Puerto Rico with four officer deaths each. The two primary causes of death remain vehicle collision at 45% and gunfire at 40%.
However, the good news is that law enforcement deaths are down considerably compared to 2011. Line of duty deaths are down 42% this year, gunfire deaths are down 41% and auto deaths are also down by 24%.
Overall, police fatality statistics show that 2012 is still on pace to be the safest year for police in 60 years. An article in the Huffington Post (published in late June, so numbers aren’t quite accurate), argues that assaults against police officers have been dropping since the late 1980s. Despite these statistics, there is still a sentiment that anti-police violence is on the rise.
As a police officer, do you think your job is as safe as it’s ever been? Were you surprised that police deaths were down significantly this year compared to last? What do you attribute to this reduction in assaults against officers?
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