154 Cops Killed in Line of Duty in 2004

Law enforcement organizations reported that 154 police officers were killed in the line of duty in 2004.  About half of the deaths were traffic-related accidents while nearly one-third resulted from shootings.  Craig W. Floyd, chairman of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, stated that better driver training, safer automobiles, the increased use of bullet-resistant vests and less-lethal weapons are just a few of the measures that must be taken to reduce the number of officer deaths in the line of duty.  While the 154 deaths is a 6% increase from 2003, the number of officer deaths in the line of duty from 1995-2000 averaged 159 deaths yearly.  Further details about these statistics... To read an interesting commentary contrasting the danger police officers face to the danger inherent in the jobs of farming, truckdriving, etc., see the Grits For Breakfast blog here.  [Mark Godsey]