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 in service and to serve as a reminder of what our police risk to keep us safe. Here are the harsh realities regarding the rise risk in society for law enforcement.
- There were 229 line-of-duty deaths in 2022 including 10 in Florida
- We’ve lost 62 heroes in the line-of-duty this year including 3 in Florida
While LODs thankfully dropped from 2021’s record levels last year, that was mostly due to few COVID-related deaths. Sadly, LODs were 40% higher than 2019 – the most recent pre-COVID year – illustrating the continued risk for law enforcement amid a rise in violence against law enforcement. We’ve lost these heroes since the previous update:
- In North Dakota, Officer Jake Wallin (pictured) was murdered while responding to a traffic accident. Upon arriving on the scene first responders were fired upon by a suspect. Multiple officers were critically wounded. Jake succumbed to his injuries. The suspect was killed with return fire. Jake was an Army National Guard veteran.
- In New Mexico, Officer Anthony Ferguson was murdered while in foot pursuit of a suspect who fled the scene of an accident. The suspect fired on pursing officers killing Anthony. Return fire wounded the suspect leading to his being detained by other officers on the scene. Anthony is survived by two children.
As we reflect on those we’ve lost, please remember the families of our fallen as well. The average age is 39, the average tour-of-duty – 12 years. In addition to losing 62 law enforcement professionals in the line-of-duty this year, there are 30 widows and 72 children who’ve lost a parent.
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 more than ever, just as we need them more than ever.