WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is paying tribute to law enforcement officers who were killed in the line of duty last year.
He’s attending a memorial service Saturday on the west front lawn of the Capitol along with families of those federal, state and local officers.
Peace Officers Memorial Day is part of National Police Week, an annual tribute to law enforcement service and sacrifice.
Figures from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund show that officer deaths declined from 138 in 2008 to 116 in 2009. That’s the fewest line-of-duty deaths since 1959, when there were 109.