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
- 123 officers have fallen in 2018
- 9 of the officers we've lost served in Florida
This week we lost two heroes. In Utah, Assistant Police Chief Dennis Vincent of the Brigham City Police Department died of a brain aneurysm suffered during training drills. He’s survived by a wife and four children. In Texas, Deputy Loren Vasquez drowned when responding to an emergency call due to the flood waters.
In 2018 we’ve had 80 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 8 months. Overall police fatalities are up 1% year over year and murdering of police officers is up 15%.
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.