Wednesday, January 2, 2008

One Hundred Eighty...

180.

That's how many officers we lost nationwide in 2007. That is the highest number of officers killed in one year since 2001. There was no terrorist attack in 2007. How are we dying?

According to the Officer Down Memorial Page :

9/11 Related Illness: 6
Accidental: 3
Aircraft Accident: 3
Animal Related: 1
Automobile Accident: 47
Boating Accident: 1
Bomb: 5
Drowned: 3
Exposure to Toxins: 1
Fall: 2
Gunfire: 63
Gunfire (Accidental): 4
Heart Attack: 7
Heat Exhaustion: 1
Motorcycle Accident: 5
Struck by Vehicle: 9
Vehicle Pursuit: 6
Vehicular Assault: 11
Weather / Natural Disaster: 2

Notice the highest numbers are Automobile Accident and Gunfire. Let's all remember to wear our vests and seatbelts, and keep our heads on a swivel. Don't be in too big of a hurry to go over that fence or around that corner.

Don't be the next one. I know I won't.

5 comments:

Liz said...

I worry that this upward trend will continue. Lets hope that 2007 was a bad year and not the start of worse things to come.

Stay alert, mean, and safe.

Officer Wright said...

Let's hope 2008 stops this trend.

Stay safe out there.

5150Wife said...

Yes, remember to be prudently circumspect.

(Webster would be proud, eh? ;-)


Be safe!

www.philosophicalcop.com said...

I tell my officers every day in briefing...wear your seatbelt! The odds are low we will be shot in a 20 year career. Yet few of us make it 5 years without a crash. Good call bringing this out, Smith.

Philosophical Cop

Anonymous said...

Wow those are sad stats,

Short story. I never wore my seat belt in my patrol unit until November 2007 and been in LE since 2001. I was running code in my brand new crown Victoria (1100 miles no s) when a front left steering bolt had fallen out or broke (Ford Motor CO. is now investigating). I had no steering control and I lost control of the vehicle. Investigators already cleared me and advised it was mechanical. The vehicle sent me into a spin and I stuck a cement pillar on the driver’s side. I was lucky because the new vic's have side airbags and I truly believe that saved me. I wear my seat belt everywhere now. Be safe out there.