Police Officer Deaths Drop In 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) - Four Alabama police officers were killed in
the line of duty in 2008.
That's according to a report released Sunday by two law
enforcement support groups, which found that 140 officers
nationwide died on the job this year. That number is down 41 from a
year ago, a reversal attributed to better training and tactics.
Gunfire deaths dropped to 41 officers this year, compared to 68
in 2007.
Texas led the nation with 14 police officers killed.
The report was released by the National Law Enforcement Officers
Memorial Fund and another group, Concerns of Police Survivors.
The Memorial Fund's chairman said more than 70 percent of
policemen use bullet-resistant vests, compared to fewer than half a
decade ago.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)