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.
This is the unfortunate news you need to know:
- 148 officers died in the line of duty in 2018 & the top cause of death was murder for the first time on record
- 94 officers have died while serving in 2019
- Seven in Florida
We’ve had four line of duty deaths this week. In New York, Officer Derrick Bishop died of cancer attributed to his search and recovery work at Ground Zero in the wake of 9/11. He's survived by a wife and two children. In Orlando, FHP Trooper Tracy Vickers died from injuries sustained in an auto accident on Route 408. Prior to serving with FHP, Tracy served in the Navy. In Texas, Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal was murdered while conducting a traffic stop. In New York, Officer Brian Mulkeen was a victim of friendly fire during the pursuit of armed suspect.
In addition to losing 94 officers this year, there are 51 widows and 121 children who’ve lost a parent. Please remember the families.
The average age of the fallen, 44. The average tour of duty, 14 years.
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.