2011 was a rough year for police officers across the United States. On-duty police fatalities rose 13 percent in 2011 to 173 from 153 in 2010 according to a report from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

It was the second year in a row that police fatalities have risen after falling to 107 in 2009, a 50-year low. While this dip gave police groups hope that things were looking up, the rise in 2010 and 2011 make 2009 more of an anomaly.

The number of deaths resulting from firearms is startling, having risen 70 percent to 68 deaths since 2008. But there is a glimmer of hope in the 2011 statistics; traffic-related deaths for law enforcement officers fell to the lowest number since 2005. Craig Floyd, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund chairman, attributed the the drop to law enforcement departments’ revamped policies regarding police chases and a heavier focus on road safety.

Remember, brothers and sisters, be careful while you’re on duty.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/12/28/us-police-fatalities-up-13-percent-in-2011-to-173/