FBI reports about significant rise in the killings of on-duty policemen in the United States

Washington: – US investigation agency Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) informed that there has been a significant rise in the killings of on-duty policemen in the United States. These killings are at a record high in the last 26 years and there has been an increase of 59% in just over a year. It is claimed that the reduction in financial provisions for the police department in various cities resulting in pressure on the police personnel and the discontent in the US population against the police force could be the responsible factors for this rise in the killings.

FBI, the main US investigation agency, has published the figures of incidents of killings of policemen. According to that, there have been incidents of 73 killings carried out with a specific objective. Last year this number was less than 50. The incident of police officers being killed in accidents or being killed inadvertently has increased. In 2021, 56 police officers had been killed in such incidents as against 46 in the previous year. There is a major discontent against the police force in the black community after the killings of members of the black community at the hands of policemen over the last few years. The agitations like Black Lives Matter and others had demanded that the funding of the police department should be reduced and removal of the police force. Many cities like Chicago had decided to reduce the budget for the police department. This resulted in a reduction in the number of police personnel and imposed restrictions on the capacities and authority of the police officers.

This is affecting the security status of the US cities and the crime rate is increasing rapidly in these cities. There has been an increase in gang wars and other violent incidents as there is a shortage of policemen for patrolling duty. There have been many violent crimes recorded in 13 leading US cities, including Philadelphia and Chicago. The third most populous city in the United States, Chicago, reported 800 killings and more than 3,500 shooting incidents in 2021.

Serving and former police officials expressed an opinion that policemen are also becoming targets of these violent incidents. Therefore, there has been an increase in the killings of police personnel. The incidents of targeting on-duty policemen have been reported even in the new year. Media informed that the killing of 9 police officials had been reported in the first two weeks of 2022.