Protecting the Palm Beaches – a tribute to those who serve and sacrifice
Bottom Line: This weekly feature is designed to recognize those who've paid the ultimate price to serve their communities and to serve as a reminder of what our police risk to keep us safe. We highlight a remarkable effort by local law enforcement each week. Joel Malkin brings you the perspective in local news from leaders in local law enforcement.
I bring you the unfortunate news you need to know:
- 128 police officers died in the line of duty in 2017
- 134 officers have fallen in 2018
- 9 of the officers we've lost served in Florida
It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve provided an update and the news is especially unfortunate. We’ve lost seven officers over the past couple weeks and have already exceeded the total number of fallen officers from 2017.
In California officer Toshio Hirai died in a motorcycle crash while on patrol. He’s survived by a wife and son. In Louisiana, officer Jason Michael Seas died when he was stuck on his motorcycle while guiding a funeral procession. He’s survived by a wife and three children. In Illinois officer Samuel Jimenez was murdered when he responded to a domestic disturbance call. In Mississippi officer Leann Simpson was killed in a collision while she was responding to a call to provide backup to an active situation. She was an Army veteran in addition to her service as a police officer. In Utah, officer David Romrell was murdered while attempting to detain a suspect in a burglary. David was Marine veteran in addition to his service as an officer. He’s survived by a wife and a newborn baby. In Virginia officer Hunter Edwards died in an accident while responding to an emergency call. He’s survived by a wife and son. And back in California Deputy Sheriff Antonio Hinostroza died in a crash during a high-speed chase. Antonio was also a Marine veteran.
In 2018 we’ve had 86 widows and over 100 children who’ve lost a parent. These are often the untold stories of the people who've sacrificed their lives in service of their communities. This is our small part to attempt to recognize those who've sacrificed the most for our safety. The average age of the officers at the time of their death was 41. The average length of time they'd served at the time of their passing is 12 years and 9 months. Overall police fatalities are up 4% year over year and murdering of police officers is up 14%.
Remember to back the badge and spread the word. Media often aren't there for our law enforcement, but we can be. Let our police, and their families, know we support them every chance you get. They need it, now more than ever, just as we need them more than ever.