Record-breaking 378 officers shot in the line of duty in 2023, FOP says in annual report

The number of police officers shot on the job hit a new high in 2023, according to a report from the National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP).

The national police group, which has more than 373,000 members, said 378 officers were shot in the line of duty in 2023, up 14% from the 330 shot in 2022.

Of the 378 officers shot, 46 were killed, the FOP reported. There were also 115 ambush-style attacks on law enforcement throughout the year.

The report noted a 60% increase in officers shot since 2018.

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FOP President Patrick Yoes said the organization had hoped 2022 would be a “high-water mark.”

“Last year, over 330 police officers were shot in the line of duty. With the COVID-19 pandemic behind us and after so many Americans have seen the tragic consequences of the defund the police movement, it was our hope that these numbers would be a high-water mark,” Yoes said. “We were wrong.”

Despite the record-high number of officers shot, Yoes attributed the lower number of deaths to technological advancements.

“Thankfully, because of dramatic improvements in medical trauma science and anti-ballistic technology, the lethality of these attacks has been reduced and only 46 of the officers shot in the line of duty were killed,” Yoes said.

He continued: “Many will often look at this data and just see numbers, but we must remember that they represent heroes — fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters. This scale of violence against our officers is horrifying and simply unsustainable. It is no wonder that our profession is facing a recruitment and retention crisis. What father or mother would want their child to become an officer knowing the dangers they face every day?”

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Yoes has advocated for Congress to pass the Protect and Serve Act, which creates federal criminal penalties for those who target police officers.

“Truthfully, the violence against those sworn to protect and serve is beyond unacceptable; it’s a stain on our society, and it must end,” he said. “It is incumbent upon our elected officials and community leaders to stand up, support our heroes, and speak out against the violence against law enforcement officers.”