There are approximately 740,000 sworn law enforcement officers now serving in the United States, which is the highest figure ever. About 12 percent of those officers are female.

In 2000, there were over 2.2 million violent crimes committed in the United States (according to the National Crime Victimization Survey conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics). The annual number of violent crimes has declined by 40 percent since it peaked in 1993 at four million.

Since the first recorded police death in 1792, there have been more than 15,000 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.

A total of 1,647 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty during the last 10 years, an average of one death every 53 hours or 165 per year. There were 230 police deaths in 2001, which represents a 49 percent increase from the 154 officers who died in 2000.

On average, more than 60,000 law enforcement officers are assaulted each year, resulting in some 19,000 injuries.

The deadliest year in law enforcement history was 1974 when 271 officers were killed. The deadliest decade was the 1970s when a total of 2,231 officers died, or 223 each year. That figure dropped dramatically in the 1990s to156 per year.

The deadliest day in law enforcement history was September 11, 2001, when 72 officers were killed while responding to the terrorist attacks on America.

New York City has lost more officers in the line of duty than any other department, with 567 deaths. California has lost 1,313 officers, more than any other state. The state with the fewest deaths is Vermont, with 15.

During the last 10 years, more officers were killed feloniously on Wednesdays than any other day of the week. The fewest number of felonious fatalities occurred on Sundays. More officers were killed between 10:00 p.m. and midnight than during any other two-hour period over the past decade.

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