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ALBANY, GA --
For the first time in three years the number of law enforcement officer deaths nationwide has dropped according to a study by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

Craig Floyd, the Chairman and CEO of the fund says they believe this is due to a recent higher emphasis on officer safety. Officials with both the Albany Police and Dougherty County Police Departments agree and say they're constantly updating their training during a daily meeting called "muster" where they review both national and local incidents and go over the training in those situations.

In 2010 the DCP lost Lieutenant Cliff Rouse after he was shot. One year later APD suffered their own loss after a high-speed chase ended with a crash that claimed the life of Corporal Terry Lewis Flemming.

APD Patrolman Gregory Gadt says officers are working dangerous jobs and never know whether they'll return that night so training and officer safety is a constant. DCP Interim Chief Cynthia Battle says her department also places officer safety as top priority and adds that when people see officers are safe, they in turn feel more safe.

Floyd says the drop is made possible by good law enforcement but also involves the cooperation, support and trust of the people these officers serve. He hopes the report will help spark more of this cooperation.

Both Chief Battle and Officer Gadt say following on this path of lower statistics is possible if we continue increasing training and reiterate safety rules daily.