135 police officers died in the line of duty in 2019. That number increased to 264 in 2020. Almost a 100% increase. In certain neighborhoods, they are regarded as public enemy #1. They're very aware that they can easily be seen as targets on the streets. They're subjected to a lot of crap from ignoramuses who think all/most cops are evil . I don't think most people appreciate the emotional toll police work has on an individual, and that stress often will carry over to the family.
One study from the Department of Justice found that the suicide rate among the Chicago PD was 60% higher than the national average. In fact, refer back to the 135 figure of cops dying in the line of duty in 2019 - the number of police officers committing suicide in the same year was 228. Staggering. I've seen the emotional trauma in the eyes of some cops that I know. It is real. This is already one of the most stressful jobs on the planet. We don't need to demonize them and make it worse than it already is. The studies are clear, the more police officers you have on the street, the lower the crime rate will be. Last year we saw the largest recorded one-year increase in homicide rate in recorded history. Per Pew, 72% of LEO are now less willing to stop and question suspicious persons. If people are going to continue to engage in the same, silly antics, we should expect more and more cops to leave - and more crime to follow.