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:
- 148 police officers died in the line of duty in 2018
- Deaths of police officers rose by 16%, or 20 officers year over year
- 11 of the officers we lost died served in Florida
- We had 92 widows and over 100 children who lost a parent
- The average age of a fallen officer was 41
By any measure 2018 was disconcerting for the safety of those who put on a badge, leave their families and go to work to keep us safe every day. Recently the Boston Herald put out a well-placed editorial entitled “Let 2019 be a safer year for police officers”. Here’s an excerpt from it: As we close out 2018, let us hope that 2019 is a safer year for our men and women in blue. One hundred and forty-four police officers were killed in the line of duty this year, according to a national report, and for the first time in decades the leading cause was shootings.
Sadly, the final total of fallen officers was even higher at 148, further emphasizing the message. Also, importantly, murdering of our police officers was the #1 cause of death. We began this weekly feature nearly three years ago as I saw the rise of violence against police officers and the lack of will by organizations and politicians alike to support our police officers rather than to cave to the political pressures of misguided social justice causes and the like. What happened last year isn’t acceptable.
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.