Chuck Canterbury, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, strongly condemned the epidemic of attacks on law enforcement officers–including two officers killed yesterday in Ohio.

“When will our nation wake up and face that the steady increase of attacks on law enforcement is making all of us less safe,” Canterbury asked. “Enough is enough!”

Since the first of the year, 33 law enforcement officers have been shot in the line of duty and 11 have been killed. More than twice as many law enforcement officers have been killed by gunfire as compared to this time last year.

“Make no mistake–these officers are being targeted because they wear a badge and a uniform,” Canterbury said. “Ambushes of law enforcement officers, often by individuals who do not anticipate surviving the event, have increased steadily over the last few years. Of the attacks to date on officers, seven have involved more than one officer shot or killed. This cannot go on.”

In 2017, officers killed by firearms reached a historic low, but law enforcement officers were being shot and injured at a much higher rate. There were 253 officers shot in the line of duty in 2016, 66 of which made the ultimate sacrifice. In 2017, 45 were killed but an alarming 271 were shot–the highest number since the FOP began tracking this data.

“Ours is a profession in crisis and until our nation comes together and acts to confront the carnage of our law enforcement officers, the safety of our homes and communities are in jeopardy.”

The Fraternal Order of Police is the largest law enforcement labor organization in the United States with more than 335,000 members.