Protecting The Palm Beaches – May 29th, 2026 – Brought to You By Good Greek Moving And Storage
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.
Following a 17% rise in Line-of-duty-deaths nationally in 2024, significant progress was made in 2025 as LODs declined by 46% year-over-year to the lowest level this century. Otherwise, it was a mixed bag. A total of 347 officers were shot in the line of duty – a 2% increase year over year.
- We lost 90 heroes in the line of duty in 2025 including 8 in Florida
- We’ve lost 43 heroes in the line of duty in 2026 including 2 in Florida
We’ve lost these heroes since the previous update:
- In New Mexico, Sergeant Joseph Apodaca was killed in a crash while in pursuit of a reckless driver. The driver is still at-large.
- In Virginia, Corporal Barry Foust (pictured) died as a result of cancer attributed to his work as a first responder at the terror attack at the Pentagon on 9/11. He’s survived by his wife and daughter.
As we reflect on those we’ve lost, please remember the families of our fallen as well. The average age of the fallen is 39; the average tour-of-duty is 10 years. In addition to losing 43 law enforcement professionals in the line-of-duty this year, there are 25 widows and 44 children who’ve lost a parent. Remember to back the badge and spread the word. They need us just as much as we need them.