In 2022, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, 247 police officers died in the line of duty in the U.S.—61 by gunfire. Some were ambushed. Others were murdered during traffic stops. Fourteen were killed in “vehicular assaults.” It perhaps isn’t surprising that being a police officer can be a difficult and dangerous job, but other figures are also disturbing.

“Resignations [in police departments] are still increasing; responding agencies reported nearly 50% more resignations in 2022 than in 2019. While retirements came down a bit in 2022, agencies still reported nearly 20% more in 2022 than in 2019. As a result, total sworn staffing has dropped nearly 5% over the past three years,” says a survey from the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF).

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