The number of cops killed in the line of duty has dropped in 2017 and hit its lowest numbers in nearly 60 years, according to a report by USA Today.
As of Thursday, December 28, 2017, 128 officers died in the line of duty this year, down from 135 in 2016. Since 1959, only 2013 saw fewer police officers die while working when 116 were killed, according to statistics from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
The leading cause of death for police officers in 2017 was traffic crashes, which killed 47 police officers. While 44 police officers were shot and killed in 2017. Better training, improved safety gear and policing strategies are credited for decreasing the number of police officers killed in the line of duty.
President Trump sparked controversy in July when he encouraged police officers to treat suspects roughly when loading them into the police cars.
As the number of police officers killed by police has decreased, more people are getting killed by police. A study conducted by The Washington Post found the number of people killed by police rose from 964 in 2016 to 971 in 2017.