WASHINGTON – Police officers put their lives on the line every day. Is their job getting any safer?

Last year was one of the deadliest for law enforcement, but 2012 is shaping up to be much better for officer safety.

Steve Groeninger, the spokesman for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, said 163 officers died in 2011.

“Fatalities are down 40 percent in 2012, compared to 2011 in the same point in time,” he said. “It’s a real bright spot.”

He says the turnaround stems from the entire law enforcement community’s focus on officer safety, from the attorney general all the way down to chiefs and the patrol officers.

Last year, at least 29 officers were saved by bullet-proof and stab-proof vests, most of which were bought with money supplied by the Justice Department.

“We’re really encouraged,” Groeninger said. “They are all focused on officer safety. They want to be sure these officers are going out, doing their jobs effectively, yet safely, and coming home at the end of their shifts.”

WTOP’s Kathy Stewart contributed to this report.

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