Every single day, law enforcement officers’ lives are at risk.
A new Law Enforcement Officer Fatalities Report showed an increase in overall law enforcement deaths this year compared to last year.
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund CEO Craig Floyd said this year, 144 law enforcement officers nationwide were killed or died in the line of duty. The deaths are a 12 percent increase from last year.
This year, Texas is only second to New York in law enforcement deaths. In Texas, 11 officers died. In New York, 12 officers died.
Floyd said most were from firearms related incidents, 52, followed by traffic deaths, 50.
There is a law that drivers have to move over and slow down when they see an emergency vehicle on the side of the road.
“I’m afraid to many of our motorists don’t recognize those laws. They’re impaired at times. They’re distracted drivers. They pose great risk to those officers that are trying to make it safer for the rest of us,” said Floyd.
He reminded us that Waller County Sheriff's deputy Lauren Vasquez was in her patrol car was swept away by floodwaters in October and she drowned.
Floyd said in New York, another 15 officers died of cancers related to exposures to toxins from the 9/11 recovery sites. On September 11, 2001, 72 law enforcement were killed in the terrorist attacks. Bringing a total of 184 officers that have died in recovery efforts, and that number is growing every year.
A new national Law Enforcement Museum has just opened in Washington, D.C., across the street from the National Law Enforcement Memorial. It includes the 1,742 law enforcement professional who have died from Texas and will soon include the 11 who died this year.
Despite the federal government shutdown, the Museum is open as usual. To get more information, visit LawEnforcementMuseum.org.