We are constantly reminded via politicians, television, and the mainstream media in general of just how brave those “boys in blue” are to work in such “dangerous” conditions. The thin blue line, we’re told, is akin to storming the beaches at Normandy.

But do these claims of mass danger and death hold water? Is it really necessary to smash an elderly woman’s face into the ground, so you can “make it home to your wife and kids”?

The Free Thought Project decided to see just how dangerous being a police officer actually is. What we found out is, compared to other jobs, being a cop is not nearly as dangerous as they’d like you to believe.

Over the last decade police departments across the country have been steadily increasing their firepower, while their jobs have actually gotten LESS dangerous.

A new report put out by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, highlights that 2013 has had the “Lowest Level of Law Enforcement Fatalities in Six Decades” and the fewest officers killed by firearms since 1887!

In fact cops don’t even rank in the top 10 most dangerous jobs in the country according to The Bureau of Labor Statistics.

What exactly is more dangerous than being a cop? For starters, a trash collector is twice as likely to die on the job versus a cop, fishing is 7 times more dangerous than being a cop, and logging workers, nearly 9 times more dangerous.

Here are occupations more dangerous than being a police officer. Number of deaths per 100,000 employed:

image: http://tftppull.freethoughtllc.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/chart-3.jpg

 

The majority of police deaths are not as a result of violence in the line of duty either, most have occurred accidentally rather than feloniously. Most police officers die, not in some heroic high speed pursuit of a child murderer, but in routine traffic accidents.

 

Read more at http://thefreethoughtproject.com/cop-top-10-dangerous-jobs-country-tanks/#qoxiwWqi0HCw9HSi.99