Nearly 380 police officers were shot in the line of duty in 2023, setting a dubious record, according to the Fraternal Order of Police.
"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," Patrick Yoes, the FOP's national president, stated in a news release this week.
“Instead, 378 officers were shot in the line of duty in 2023, the highest number the FOP has ever recorded."
Last year's total is up 14% from 2022. Of those officers shot in 2023, 46 of them were killed, down 25% from 2022. Yoes credited "dramatic improvements in medical trauma science and anti-ballistic technology" with helping officers survive shootings.
"This scale of violence against our officers is horrifying and simply unsustainable," Yoes stated. "It is no wonder that our profession is facing a recruitment and retention crisis. What father or mother would want their child to become an officer knowing the dangers they face every day?"
Ambush-style attacks also continued to be a problem for law enforcement in 2023. There were 115 ambush attacks last year, resulting in 130 officers shot, 20 of them fatally.
“When this Congress convened, I asked that they act swiftly and pass the Protect and Serve Act, which would address the national problem of ambushes and unprovoked attacks on our nation's law enforcement officers. They have not done so," Yoes stated. "Today, given these numbers, what more would it take for lawmakers in Washington to see how necessary it is to pass this legislation?
Texas led the country with 39 officers shot in 2023, followed by Pennsylvania (25), California (22) and Tennessee (21).
“Many will often look at this data and just see numbers, but we MUST remember that they represent heroes—fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters," Yoes stated.
“I call on Americans in every community across the country to join us in taking a stand—to say, ‘Enough is Enough!’" he added. "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.”
