Cop gun deaths down 40 percent in 2008

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- The death rate for U.S. police officers slain by gunfire has reached a 50-year low, a report released Monday indicates.

The report by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund says 41 officers were shot and killed in 2008, down 40 percent from the 68 who died last year and the lowest number since 1956, when 35 officers died as a result of gunfire, USA Today reported.

The police group said the total number of officers who died in the line of duty this year, 140, is a 23 percent reduction from last year's figure of 181. The 2007 numbers were among the highest in two decades and alarmed police officials, the group said.

"2007 really became a wake-up call for law enforcement in this country," Memorial Fund Chairman Craig Floyd told USA Today. "There were aggressive actions taken to improve officer safety."

Floyd noted that more officers are now wearing body armor and using stun guns to protect themselves.