A biannual report by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund shows 67 officers died in the line of duty in the first half of the year, an eight percent increase over the same period in 2015. Spokesperson Craig Floyd says three of those officers were from departments in central Ohio.
The third officer - Sean Johnson of Hilliard - died on May 19th in a motorcycle crash during a training exercise. Nationally, 32 officers were killed in incidents involving a firearm, and there were 24 traffic-related fatalities. Despite the increase, Floyd says police fatalities have steadily declined in the past four decades. Floyd encourages residents to work with law enforcement to build safer communities.
Floyd's group plans to build a memorial and museum in Washington, D-C to honor law enforcement officers. Floyd says once it's open in 2018, it will host conversations between police and community leaders
