Slightly fewer law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty last year, although attacks on those officers have increased, according to a new FBI report.
Sixty police officers were killed in the line of duty in 2023, one fewer than the previous year, the FBI said in a new report using data collected by law enforcement agencies across the country. Although the last three years have seen a slight overall decline, the three-year period had the highest total number of law enforcement deaths, 193, of any three-year period in the last 20 years, the office noted.
Of the officers killed in the line of duty last year, about 52% were killed by gunshot wounds, according to the report. Most of the fallen officers, 54, were men, while six were women.
The South saw the highest number of officers killed, accounting for 20 of last year’s line-of-duty deaths.
2023 saw the highest rate of assaults by officers, with 79,091 assaults at a rate of 13.2 assaults per 100 officers, the report concluded. The number of police officers injured by firearms reached the highest level in ten years, around 466 officers.
The report takes place during National Police Week, which runs from Sunday until next weekend in honor of police officers who have died on the job.
“Police Week gives us an important opportunity to recognize and thank the heroes who walk among us – the men and women of courage and character who think of others before themselves, no matter the cost,” said FBI Director, Christopher Wray, in a statement. Monday video message.
As of April 29, 19 police officers have died on the job this year, while 21 have died in on-duty accidents.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
