Let’s honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice and those who continue to serve. Peace Officers Memorial Day (Friday, May 15, 2020,) and Police Week (Sunday, May 10, through Saturday, May 16,) pay tribute to local, State, and Federal Law Enforcement Officers who serve and protect us with courage and dedication. These observances also remind us of the ongoing need to be vigilant against all forms of crime, especially to acts of extreme violence and terrorism.
On average, one Law Enforcement Officer is killed in the line of duty somewhere in the United States every 58 hours. Since the first known line-of-duty death in 1791, more than 20,000 U. S. Law Enforcement Officers have made the ultimate sacrifice.
In the United States today, 950,000 Law Enforcement Officers put their lives on the line for the safety and protection of others. They serve with valor and distinction and with great success. Federal statistics show that violent and property crime rates in the United States are at historic lows, thanks in large measure to the dedicated service of the men and women of law enforcement.
That protection comes at a price, however. Each year, there are approximately 60,000 assaults on Law Enforcement Officers, resulting in nearly 16,000 injuries. Sadly, over the last decade, an average of 160 officers a year have been killed in the line of duty.
As of late December, 2019, 128 officers had died in the line of duty. That is an 18% decrease from same period last year. Firearms-related fatalities were the leading cause of officer deaths, with 49 officers killed in 2019. This represents a six percent decrease over the 52 officers killed in firearms-related incidents during the same period last year. Six were killed in ambush-style attacks.
The leading circumstances of firearms-related fatalities were officers responding to a domestic related call, serving a high-risk warrant, and investigative activity. This is according to data released by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), a nonprofit aimed at honoring officers and improving safety.
States with the highest number of officer deaths in 2019 were Texas (17), New York (11), California (9), and Alabama (7.) Seventeen states and the District of Columbia did not lose an officer this year.