Record Number of Police Officers Shot in 2023, Report Reveals
A disturbing report from the National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) has unveiled a record-breaking number of law enforcement officers shot in the line of duty in 2023. According to the data, there were 378 officers shot, marking a staggering 60% increase since the FOP began tracking such incidents in 2018. Additionally, the report highlighted that 46 police officers lost their lives in these incidents.
The FOP expressed deep concern, emphasizing these statistics as a stark reminder of the ongoing “War on Cops” in the country, branding it a “stain on our society.” FOP President Patrick Yoes lamented the rising numbers, stating, “Last year, over 330 police officers were shot in the line of duty. 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.”
While there was a decrease in fatalities compared to the previous year, attributed to advancements in medical trauma science and anti-ballistic technology, the alarming rise in the number of officers shot is a grave concern for the FOP.
The National FOP report on officers shot in 2023 has just been released and the results are horrifying!
378 officers shot, highest number since we started tracking the data.
60% increase in officers shot since 2018.
115 ambush attacks that resulted in 138 officers shot.
46… pic.twitter.com/aR2vOeyi2b
— National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) (@GLFOP) January 2, 2024
The report highlighted that police officers faced targeted ambush-style attacks, with 115 such incidents in 2023. These attacks resulted in 138 officers being shot, and tragically, 20 officers lost their lives. The report, while focusing on fatal incidents, did not measure the instances where officers were shot at but not struck.
FOP President Yoes called for immediate action, urging Congress to pass the Protect and Serve Act, which aims to establish a new criminal offense for knowingly assaulting a law enforcement officer and causing serious bodily injury.
Yoes emphasized the human aspect of these statistics, stating, “Many will often look at this data and just see numbers, but we must remember that they represent heroes — fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters. This scale of violence against our officers is horrifying and simply unsustainable. It is no wonder that our profession is facing a recruitment and retention crisis.”
The FOP concluded the report by featuring the names and pictures of all the officers who lost their lives due to gunfire in 2023, urging elected officials and community leaders to take a stand against the violence targeting law enforcement officers.
Photo credit: Flickr
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