The number of police officers killed nationwide in the first half of 2003 is about 10 percent higher compared to the same time last year, according to preliminary numbers released jointly by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) and the Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS).

Seventy-seven state and local law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty during the first six months of this year, compared with sixty-eight deaths during the first half of 2002. An average of 166 officers have died in the line of duty annually over the last 10 years.

Of the 77 officers who were killed, 33 were shot, 23 died in automobile accidents, seven were struck by automobiles while outside of their own vehicles, five officers died of job-related illnesses, two died in motorcycle accidents, two officers were beaten to death, one officer was killed in an aircraft accident, one officer drowned, one officer was electrocuted, one officer was stabbed, and one officer fell to his death. Four of the officers who died during this period of time were women.

For more information on this study, visit www.nleomf.com or www.nationalcops.org.