Sunday, November 26, 2006

Cops: Let's Be Careful Out There

When you think of police officers dying on the job, you think of shootings. But actually, more died from some sort of motor vehicle-related accident. Out of 75 officers who died on the job during the first six months of this year, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund:
Thirty officers were shot to death, while 22 died in motor vehicle accidents, according to the survey. Eleven died from job-related illnesses, and five officers were killed when struck by automobiles while outside their vehicles. Four officers died in motorcycle accidents, while two officers were killed in helicopter crashes and one officer died in a bomb blast.

The survey notes that the number of law enforcement officers killed in automobile crashes has increased by 40 percent over the past 30 years, and by 22 percent in the past year.