(NewsReady.com) – Law enforcement officers serve in one of the most dangerous professions in the country. Sadly, many are belittled, berated, and attacked for their decision to serve their communities. The FBI just released data showing how often officers are assaulted.
On May 14, the FBI released national data showing assaults on law enforcement officers hit a 10-year high in 2023. According to the information, 79,091 cops were assaulted last year. The data was broken down into categories. There were 6,783 incidents when the police responded to simple assaults.
Approximately 466 officers were injured by firearms. That was also the highest in a decade. In 2014, 200 officers suffered assaults with guns.
There was even more disturbing data included in the report. From 2021 to 2023, 194 officers were murdered. That was more than any other consecutive three-year period in the last 20 years. Sixty cops were murdered in 2023. The South had the highest number of police officer deaths from 2014 to 2023.
A spokesperson for the FBI noted that the South is also the largest region in the country. However, there was a 38% decrease in 2023, with 19 cops killed in the region while on the job. Gunshot wounds were responsible for 52% of the deaths.
Fox News Digital reported that an FBI spokesperson said that although police officer deaths decreased from 2021 (73 officers) to 2022 (61 officers), the rise in assaults prompted the agency to investigate the underlying causes.
National Fraternal Order of Police Vice President Joe Gamaldi said the data proves there’s “a war on cops” in the United States. He said that an officer is “shot every 21 hours in America.” He called it “a stain on society and an embarrassment” to the US.
Nicole Parker, a former FBI special agent, said she wasn’t shocked to hear the news because there’s “been a general demonization and disrespect for law enforcement” across the country.
President Joe Biden spoke at the National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service in Washington, DC, on May 15. He mentioned the four officers killed in North Carolina at the beginning of the month and told their families they would never be forgotten.
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