Johnny Law has it tough

It's not easy being blue.

More law enforcement officers have died in the first six months of 2011 than in the same period last year, about 14 percent more, according to National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fun, which tracks these kinds of things.

Considering all the ballyhoo and money being thrown by federal highway safety officials and insurance officials at the problem of motorcycle deaths -- despite fatalities appearing to be down across the country -- motorcycle cops are not among the most common police officers killed.

Only five were killed in motorcycle crashes while 40 were shot to death, 21 died in auto crashes, 16 died of job-related illness, seven were killed by cars that hit them as they stood outside of their vehicles two were hit by trains and one each was killed in an aircraft crash, bomb blast, electrocution, beaten to death,  crushed by extremely heavy object and strangled.

The number of officers killed by firearms surged 33 percent higher than the first-half numbers for 2010.

The  good news -- if there is such a thing in these sorts of statistics -- is that the number of officers killed in traffic-related incidents (35) declined by 17 percent compared to the first half of 2010.  Traffic-related incidents have been the leading cause of law enforcement fatalities for each of the past 13 years.

So all of you local motor cops be careful out there and don't give up your engines.