On-Duty Police Deaths in U.S. Jump 37% in 2010

[RamboLiberal]

Source: CBS News

Two officers in a remote Alaska town were ambushed as they chatted on a street. Two California deputies were killed by an arson suspect with a high-powered rifle as they tried to serve him a warrant. Two other officers doing anti-drug work were gunned down by men along a busy Arkansas highway.

These so-called cluster killings of more than one officer helped make 2010 a particularly dangerous year for law enforcement. Deaths in the line of duty jumped 37 percent to about 160 from 117 the year before, according to numbers as of Dec. 28 compiled by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, a nonprofit that tracks police deaths.

There also was a spike in shooting deaths. Fifty-nine federal, state and local officers were killed by gunfire in 2010, a 20 percent jump from last year's figures when 49 were killed. And 73 officers died in traffic incidents, a rise from the 51 killed in 2009, according to the data.

Craig Floyd, director of the Washington-based fund, said the rise in fatalities could be an aftershock of the nation's economic troubles as officers in some communities cope with slashed budgets.



Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/12/28/national/main7191497.shtml?tag=stack

[Name removed]

1. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RandomThoughts]

2. Guns and Roses.

Sweet Child Of Mine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oobDQ0vdm8M

[enki23]

3. and yet, violent crime overall is down

the question is, then: are the fewer remaining violent criminals more likely than previously to target cops, or to be successful in their attempts? or are cops doing something different which makes them more likely to be killed? or maybe the number is simply small enough that large apparent fluctuations not statistically significant?

[bemildred]

4. Well, it would be interesting to know why there are more dead cops while violent crime goes down.

Maybe the remaining violent criminals are more hard core than before, and the cops have more time to concentrate on them? But that's just a WAG.

[AndyTiedye]

8. Understaffing

Cities and counties all over the country are cutting budgets.
Fewer police means the ones who are left have to take more risks.
No good calling for backup if there isn't any.

[bemildred]

10. That crossed my mind too. nt

[bhikkhu]

12. I wonder if the numbers back that up

In my community, the economy is stagnant and county budget is way down, but the police still seem to get almost all they want - new cars, swat stuff, snowmobiles, boats, etc...

[Llewlladdwr]

21. Traffic fatalities look like they were up about 43%. NT

[X_Digger]

9. From the article..

Last year's toll of 117 officers killed was a 50-year low that encouraged police groups. But this year's total is more the norm than an anomaly: The number of police deaths has topped 160 five times since 2000, including 240 in 2001. The annual toll routinely topped 200 in the 1970s and before that in the 1920s.

That's backed up by the FBI numbers as well-

http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/killed/2009/data/table_27.html

(The 2010 numbers won't be out til October of next year..)

[Historic NY]

11. They will be honored on May 15th by the POTUS....

I suspect the candlelight vigil of more than 15+ thousand colleagues & family members will pack Judiciary Square, in DC this May at the National Law Enforcement Memorial

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

23. So this year is being compared to an historical low. Got it.

[freshwest]

5. I'm surprised at this happening at the same time that the crime level is down.

But I guess I shouldn't be, since their ranks are so thinned out by budget cuts. Bad time to be in that profession, no backup.

[DCKit]

7. IMO, at least two of the high-profile shooters were victims of PoPo persecution.

The rest we can put at the feet of Glen BecKkk, OxyRush, their ilk, and increased poverty/unemployment... in that order.

[Mortos]

18. Which two were "victims" of the police before they ambushed unsuspecting officers?

and does their "persecution" justify them killing in your humble opinion?

Was it this poor victim who had committed aggravated robbery, assault and child rape and shot officers in the back while they were drinking coffee?

http://crime.about.com/b/2009/11/30/4-police-officers-ambushed-in-coffee-shop.htm

Or was it these two innocent victims armed only with AK47's who killed 3 officers and wounded another?

http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/crime/springfield-teen-shot-arkansas-police-officers-multiple-times-report-says-755900.html

Or was it this poor victim who shot on officer while he was attempting to aid the first one who was shot without warning in front of his mother?

http://www.adn.com/2010/08/29/1430097/two-police-officers-killed-in.html

If it wasn't one of these innocent victims, please elaborate and provide evidence to back your claim.

[onehandle]

6. The gun apologists are on their way. nt

[Skip Intro]

14. "Gun apologists" - ?

[applegrove]

13. guns don't kill people...they kill police it looks like.

[boppers]

16. Cars kill people.

Over half the deaths were vehicular.

[earcandle]

15. This is not good. We are pitting our people against each other instead of promoting peace.. please.

[Skittles]

17. terrible one in Arlington Texas last night

a woman at an apt complex called complaining that her ex-husband had assaulted her, that he was no longer there but that she wanted to press charges - so they sent a female rookie police gal to take the report - the ex-husband showed up, killed both his ex and the police gal and then himself

http://www.wfaa.com/news/crime/Police-officer-two-others-dead-in-Arlington-shooting-112583279.html

[Still a Democrat]

19. Line-of-duty deaths among police officers go up

Source: CNN

...

These incidents are part of an overall trend of increased violence against police officers and law enforcement professionals this year. According to preliminary data compiled by the memorial fund, a total of 160 federal, state and local law enforcement officers died in the line of duty during the past 12 months, an alarming increase that follows two years of declining deaths among the nation's policing professionals.

While the sharpest increase has been in gun-related deaths, traffic-related incidents remained the number one cause of death among the nation's law enforcement officers for the 13th consecutive year. Seventy-three officers have been killed in traffic-related incidents this year, compared with 51 in 2009.

"Our law enforcement officers are being asked to do more today with less," said memorial fund Chairman Craig W. Floyd. "And it is putting their lives at risk."

During the past year, 18 officers were killed in Texas, the highest in any state. It was followed by California with 11, Illinois with 10, Florida with nine and Georgia with seven.

Since the first known line-of-duty death in 1792, nearly 19,000 U.S. law enforcement officers have made the ultimate sacrifice.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/12/29/us.law.enforcement.deaths/

[Llewlladdwr]

20. To me it looks like cops are lousy drivers. Isn't that about a 43% increase in traffic fatalities?

Isn't that about a 43% increase in traffic fatalities?

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Llewlladdwr]

25. I don't have any particular love for the po-po.

They chose the job, and mostly seem a lot more concerned about their safety and security than mine.

Remember, when seconds count the police are only minutes away...

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

24. Unemployment -> Poverty -> Crime -> Death.

It's simple, really.