Attorney General Sessions and U.S. Attorney Duncan To Recognize Law Enforcement Service and Sacrifice During National Police Week

 FBI Releases 2017 Statistics on Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted
 

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Attorney General Sessions and Robert M. Duncan, Jr., the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, , will recognize the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal police officers on the occasion of National Police Week and comment on the FBI's 2017 Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report.

U.S. Attorney Duncan will be giving the keynote address at the Northern Kentucky Police Officers Memorial Service, at the Northern Kentucky Officers Memorial site in Covington, Kentucky, on May 16th at 7:00 p.m.  Several other events are scheduled throughout the area, to include the Kentucky State Police Memorial Service, on May 21st at 6:00 p.m. in Frankfort, and the Kentucky Law Enforcement Memorial Service, in Richmond on May 24th at 11:00 a.m.  Many local communities will also honor their fallen officers.

 “One officer death is too many,” Attorney General Sessions said.  “While we are inexpressibly grateful to have had a decrease in the number of officers killed in the line-of-duty last year, the number is still far too high.  At the Department of Justice, we honor the memories of the fallen and we pray for their families.  We are also following President Trump's Executive Orders to back the women and men in blue, to enhance law enforcement safety, and to reduce violent crime in America. Those priorities will help keep every American safe, including those who risk their lives for us.  As always, we have their backs and they have our thanks.”

“National Police Week offers us the opportunity to reflect about all the men and women in law enforcement who lost their lives in service to their communities, including those who made the ultimate sacrifice here, in our District,” stated U.S. Attorney Duncan.  “National Police Week is also a chance for us to publicly thank our law enforcement partners in the Commonwealth of Kentucky for all they do for us.  These brave men and women daily protect the public and uphold the rule of law.  We support their efforts and are committed to helping them reduce violent crime and the drug epidemic.  Please join me in offering thanks to law enforcement officers across the Commonwealth for their service.” 

According to statistics collected by the FBI, 93 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2017 – a 21 percent decrease from 2016, when 118 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents.

Additionally, in 2017, there were 46 law enforcement officers killed in line-of-duty incidents as a result of felonious acts – this is a 30 percent decrease from 2016, when 66 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents as a result of felonious acts.

For the full comprehensive data tables about these incidents and brief narratives describing the fatal attacks and selected assaults resulting in injury, please see the 2017 edition of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report, released today.

In October 1962, Congress passed and President Kennedy signed a joint resolution declaring May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day, to honor law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.  The resolution also created National Police Week, as an annual tribute to law enforcement service and sacrifice.  

During Police Week, which is observed from Sunday, May 13 to Saturday, May 19, 2018, our nation celebrates the contributions of police officers from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty, and commitment in keeping our communities safe.

The list of names of all 93 fallen officers nationwide was formally dedicated on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC, during the 30th Annual Candlelight Vigil on the evening of May 13, 2018.  For more information about other National Police Week events, please visit www.policeweek.org.

To access the FBI's 2017 Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report, please visit www.fbi.gov.