There was an uptick in the number of law enforcement officers that got shot in service last year, a report from the National Fraternal Order of Police revealed.
‘A Stain On Our Society’: Record Number Of Police Shot In 2023, Report Finds https://t.co/xslsUW0962 pic.twitter.com/66QMGAQGxB
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According to the FOP’s data, 378 officers were shot in 2023. The number of police officers that were killed in the line of duty adds up to 46.
The number of officer shootings in 2023 is the highest the FOP has recorded so far since it began its tracking of officers that get shot annually since 2018.
According to the report, some of the shootings of police officers were done in ambush-style attacks.
“There have been 115 ambush-style attacks on law enforcement officers this year. These ambush-style attacks have resulted in 138 officers shot, 20 of whom were killed,” the report stated.
The report did not include failed attempts to shoot police officers.
FOP President Patrick Yoes finds the results disappointing, as he said, “Last year, over 330 police officers were shot in the line of duty. 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. We were wrong.”
“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,” he added.
Yoes further suggested that the increased shootings of police officers is why law enforcement is having recruitment and retaining issues.
“What father or mother would want their child to become an officer knowing the dangers they face every day?” he asked.
Yoes is hoping that Congress will pass the Protect and Serve Act, a bill that makes the intentional assault of a law enforcement officer a crime.
“Truthfully, the violence against those sworn to protect and serve is beyond unacceptable; it’s a stain on our society, and it must end. 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,” he said.
