As we all welcome the New Year and what good things lie ahead, I wanted to take a minute to express my appreciation for not only our sheriff's deputies but all law enforcement officers who protect all of our nation's citizens.

Last year, 126 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty. That's a 24 percent increase compared to 2013. Fifty died from gunfire (a 56 percent increase), 49 died from traffic-related incidents (up 11 percent) and many suffered heart attacks.

The truth of the matter is that the job performed by our nation's estimated 1.5 million law enforcement officers is dangerous. Aside from the statistics for those officers who died in the line of duty, an untold number were injured while performing their work.

It's important to remember that a forever unknown number of officer and suspect injuries and deaths were avoided due to officer training, skill and luck. Don't forget that while we work, play and sleep, in every community in the U.S. there are people whose job is to stand either alone or in a line between good and evil.

The success of law enforcement depends on cooperation with our communities and other agencies. Many times, the cooperation between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies is invisible, but it's crucial. That teamwork happens every day, and results in arrests and safer neighborhoods and cities.

As an expression of support for law enforcement officers, the national organization Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) has proposed this Friday, Jan. 9, as National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. The day is an opportunity to express gratitude to our country's cops.

I am asking you to join me on Jan. 9 to show your support. One of the tokens I will use is a blue light in my home's porch lamp. Perhaps you will do the same, or choose your own way to say "I support you" to your local officers.

I'm certain they will accept a smile and a simple "Thank you."