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
- 141 officers have fallen in 2018
- 11 of the officers we've lost served in Florida
Another week and unfortunately another four fallen heroes to recognize including two in Florida. In Miami Beach Detective, Larry Marrero, suffered a fatal heart attack during training exercises. He’s survived by a wife and two children. In Colorado Sergeant Matthew Moreno died in a collision with another vehicle as he was responding to an emergency call. He’s survived by a wife and three children. In Miami-Dade officer Jermaine Brown died in an ATV crash while responding to a call of illegal activity along a canal path. He’s also survived by a wife and three children. In Indiana sergeant Benton Bertram died in a crash during a police chase in pursuit of a suspect on the run.
In 2018 we’ve had 91 widows and over 100 children who’ve lost a parent. These are of the often-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 10 months. Overall police fatalities are up 4% year over year and murdering of police officers is up 11%.
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.