Big rise in number of U.S. police officers killed while at work

The number of U.S. police officers killed while at work this year has jumped by 13 per cent from the year before.



The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund released the report today showing that 173 officers from across the country died in the line of duty - up from 153 deaths the year before.



The non-profit group which tracks police deaths also reported that 68 federal, state and local officers were killed by gunfire in 2011, a 15 per cent jump from last year when 59 were killed.

Worrying: The number of U.S. police officers killed while at work this year has jumped by 13 per cent from the year before

It marks the first time in 14 years that firearms fatalities were higher than traffic-related deaths.



The data shows that 64 officers died in traffic accidents, down from the 71 killed in 2010.

Craig Floyd, the group's chairman, blamed the rise on budget cuts to public safety departments.



He cited surveys by police groups which showed many cut-backs on training and delays upgrading equipment, and referenced a Department of Justice report issued in October which said an estimated 10,000 police officers and sheriff's deputies have been laid off within the past year.

In love: Police officer Deriek Crouse, pictured here with his wife Tina in 2009, was shot dead earlier this month



Crazed: Ross Truett Ashley was the gunman who killed Deriek Crouse

'I'm very troubled that these drastic budget cuts have put our officers at a grave risks,' he said. 'Our officers are facing a more brazen cold-blooded element and fighting a war on terror, and we're giving them less training and less equipment they need to do their jobs safely.'



It's the second year in a row the number of officers killed in the line of duty has grown.



In 2009, the death toll dipped to 122 in a 50-year-low that encouraged police groups even though the year seemed to be an aberration.



Otherwise, the number of police deaths has topped 160 five other times since 2000. It routinely topped 200 in the 1970s.



The police deaths were spread across 41 states and Puerto Rico.



The largest number of fatalities was reported in Florida, where 14 officers were killed, followed by Texas (13) New York (11), California (10) and Georgia (10).



The New York City Police Department and Puerto Rico Police Department, which both lost four officers, were the law enforcement agencies that reported the most deaths.

