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There are approximately 900,000 sworn law
enforcement officers now serving in the
United States. About 12.0 percent of them
are female. Crime fighting has taken its
toll. Since the first recorded police death
in 1792, there have been more than 20,223 law enforcement
officers killed in the line of duty. 2009 was
a particularly perilous year for police
officers involved in gun disputes, reports
the Associated Press. The number killed in
the line of duty by gunfire increased 25
percent from 2008, say preliminary
statistics from the National Law Enforcement
Officers Memorial Fund. In 2009 49
police officers had died nationwide after
being shot while on duty, up from 38 for the
same time in 2008, which was the lowest
number of gunfire deaths since 1956.
During the past ten years, more officers
were killed feloniously on Friday than any
other day of the week. The fewest number of
felonious fatalities occurred on Sunday.
Over the past decade, more officers were
killed between 8:01 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
than during any other two-hour period. There were 242 police deaths in 2001
nationwide, which represents a 48 percent
increase from the 163 officers who died in
2000. In 2002 there were 147 police deaths
nationwide – a significant decrease from 2001.
There were 147 officers killed
in 2003, 163 police deaths reported in 2004
a 8% increase, 161 officers killed in
2005, 147 officers killed in 2006, 181
killed in 2007, 132 killed in 2008 and 120
officers killed in 2009 down 6% from 2008. 2007 was a deadly year for
U.S. Law Enforcement: Officer fatalities
rose more than 24 percent to the second
highest total in nearly two decades; fatal
shootings surged 33 percent, while a record
81 officers died in traffic-related
incidents. Averages: Every 53.0 hours an
officer is killed...162 deaths per
year...60,000 assaults per year resulting in
approximately 16,230 injuries per year.
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