Preliminary data from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund for 2017 shows that the number of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty dropped significantly from 2016.
According to USA Today, there were 128 officer deaths in 2017, of which 44 died from gunshot wounds. That’s down from the 66 killed by gunfire in 2016.
Forty-seven officers were killed in crashes, which is a decline of 15 percent from 2016, according to the report.
There may be several reasons for the decline, but gun control doesn’t appear to be one of them. Gun ownership in 2017 continued to climb; with thousands more citizens across the country obtaining concealed carry permits and licenses.
The call most likely to result in a shooting is a domestic violence call, the report indicated. These disturbances accounted for the largest number of fatal shootings of police officers.
