Watch Live: 2021 Riverside County Sheriff’s Department blue light ceremony

The Riverside County Sheriffs Department (RSO) is hosting a virtual blue light ceremony Monday to honor the lives of the peace officers whose lives were tragically taken on the line of duty.

The virtual event starts at 6 pm. You can watch live below:

RSO is inviting department members, loved ones of the fallen, and others to join in on this memorial ceremony.

According to data posted on the Officer Down Memorial website, there was a jump in officer-related deaths within the last two years across the country.

This year, 2021, the number of peace officer deaths is at 448 so far. A majority of these deaths are COVID-19 related, followed by gunfire being the second cause.

There has been a 26% fatality rate increase among officers across the country this year.

In 2020 the number of peace officer deaths was 384 across the country. Before COVID-19 hit communities, the number of deaths was only in the hundreds.