In 2023, the National Fraternal Order of Police reported a record high of 378 officers shot on duty, with 46 killed and 115 ambush-style attacks.
Despite the increase in shootings since 2018, FOP President Patrick Yoes attributed the lower number of deaths to advancements in medical trauma science and anti-ballistic technology.
“Last year, over 330 police officers were shot in the line of duty,” Yoes said. (Trending: Sports Icon Dies Suddenly At 56)
“With the COVID-19 pandemic behind us and after so many Americans have seen the tragic consequences of the defund the police movement, it was our hope that these numbers would be a high-water mark,” Yoes added.
“We were wrong.”
“Thankfully, because of dramatic improvements in medical trauma science and anti-ballistic technology, the lethality of these attacks has been reduced and only 46 of the officers shot in the line of duty were killed,” he said.
“Many will often look at this data and just see numbers, but we must remember that they represent heroes — fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters. This scale of violence against our officers is horrifying and simply unsustainable.”
Yoes called for Congress to pass the Protect and Serve Act to create federal criminal penalties for those who target police officers, emphasizing the need for support and action against violence towards law enforcement officers.
“It is no wonder that our profession is facing a recruitment and retention crisis. What father or mother would want their child to become an officer knowing the dangers they face every day?” Yoes pressed.
“Truthfully, the violence against those sworn to protect and serve is beyond unacceptable; it’s a stain on our society, and it must end,” he said.
“It is incumbent upon our elected officials and community leaders to stand up, support our heroes, and speak out against the violence against law enforcement officers.”
The National FOP report on officers shot in 2023 has just been released and the results are horrifying!
378 officers shot, highest number since we started tracking the data.
60% increase in officers shot since 2018.
115 ambush attacks that resulted in 138 officers shot.
46… pic.twitter.com/aR2vOeyi2b
— National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) (@GLFOP) January 2, 2024
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