2011 Deadly year for cops in America

From Homeland Security News Wire:

Police fatalities

Record high police fatalities, second year in a row

10 January, 2012

For the second year in a row, a record number of law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty.

According to data from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund , there was a 13 percent spike in deaths compared to 2010 and a 42 percent jump from 2009. Of the 173 officers killed last year, the majority died due to gunfire, a marked change from the previous thirteen years when most deaths resulted from car accidents.

Craig W. Floyd, the chairman of the NLEOMF, blamed the recent spate of law enforcement deaths on budget cuts.

“Drastic budget cuts affecting law enforcement agencies across the country have put our officers at grave risk,” Floyd said. “At a time when officers are facing a more cold-blooded criminal element and fighting a war on terror, we are cutting vital resources necessary to ensure their safety and the safety of the innocent citizens they protect.”...

Something VERY wrong with this picture. Go read the rest here.