By Ken Dilanian

WASHINGTON — With violent crime on the upswing across the nation, the number of police officers who have died violently in the line of duty is also spiking.

FBI Director Christopher Wray highlighted the issue in an appearance Tuesday before the House Oversight Committee. Wray said a total of 37 officers had been murdered in the first five months of 2021, compared with 46 during all of 2020.

“And that's not counting all those officers who've died in the line of duty facing the countless other inherent dangers of the job, like from a car accident in pursuit after a subject or drowning during an attempted rescue. Or even the scores of officers who've died from Covid-19. Because, of course, law enforcement kept coming to work every day despite the pandemic.”

According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 148 police officers have died of all causes so far in 2021, up from 134 this time last year. Traffic deaths, in particular, have risen 42 percent, according to those statistics.