As the crime rate soars across every large American city, so has something else: The number of police officers and other law enforcement officials being assaulted by criminals is also skyrocketing. According to data from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, there were 79,091 law enforcement officers assaulted. That is the highest number reported for one single year in the past ten years.
While it is a nationwide problem, the southern part of the country seems to be where it has been the most prevalent. Even worse than assaults, from 2014 to 2023, the South had the largest number of police officers killed in the line of duty. However, in 2023, that percentage decreased by 38 percent from 32 deaths in 2022 down to 20 deaths in 2023. That number was the lowest number since 2015, when police officer deaths numbered 15.
The incidents and the weapons used were varied. In 2023, most attacks on officers occurred during calls to respond to simple assaults. In those instances, there were 6,783 cases of officers being assaulted. Right behind that were responses to drugs and narcotics calls, in which 4,879 officers were assaulted. The lowest number of police officer assaults involved firearms, with 466 officers injured or assaulted. However, that number, according to the FBI, is also a 10-year high.
When it comes to police officers being killed in the line of duty, the numbers are not that much better. From 2021 to 2023, there was a total of 194 officers killed, more than any other three-year period within the past 20 years, those again being FBI statistics. Broken down by year, that is 60 killed in 2023, 61 in 2022, and 73 in 2021. When we talk about those responsible for those deaths, 57 individuals committed felony murder of a police officer in 2023, and of those, 32 had records of violent arrests.
Granted, being a police officer is one of the most dangerous jobs there is. But why the uptick in police officer assaults? That is probably one of the easiest questions to answer. Look no further than places like New York City and other municipalities where no cash bail is king. A video from February of this year shows a group of illegal immigrants, possibly as many as 14, assaulting two New York City police officers. Six of the men were charged in the assault, but five were released without bail. Four of the men promptly hopped on a bus and headed out of town. It isn't hard to figure out what message no cash bail sends. It says that offenders can continue to offend with no fear of any consequences.
Couple these grim statistics with blue city and state politicians who undermine police departments, but when an officer is killed in the line of duty, show up at the funeral. Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson were recently asked to stay away from the funerals of fallen officers because rank-and-file officers know that these officials do not have the backs of police.
Following Officer Jonathan Diller's death in New York, Donald Trump stated that if he is reelected, he would call for a mandatory death sentence for the killing of police officers.