The number of law enforcement officers who died or were killed while on duty dropped significantly in the first six months of 2019 compared to the same time last year and is the third lowest recorded in 50 years.
A newly released report by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund found 60 officers from local, state, federal, and tribal agencies died between Jan.1 and June 30, which is a 35% decrease from 92 deaths halfway into 2018.
Over the past 50 years, the average number of law enforcement facilities halfway through the year typically range between 75 and 100. Since 2012, that number has fluctuated from 50 to 70 deaths. Since 1969, the years of 2012 and 2013 are the only on record when the number of deaths halfway into a year were lower than mid-2019.
Nearly half of the total deaths, 27, were firearms-related. Another 21 officers died in traffic-related incidents, and the remaining 12 deaths occurred under other circumstances.
“While we’re encouraged to see a 35 percent decrease in the number of line-of-duty deaths thus far, it’s important to remember that even one fallen officer is one too many,” Memorial Fund Interim CEO Lori Sharpe Day said in a statement. “The Memorial Fund’s mission is to honor these brave men and women who have given their lives to keep all of us safe. We hope with a continued emphasis on training as well as programs that focus on officer safety and wellness, we will continue to see a decrease in officer fatalities.”
Those killed ranged from 19 years old to 81 years old. Five were women and 55 were men. One officer had been on the job one month while the longest-serving officer had been on the force 52 years, according to the organization’s report.
Twenty-four of the 60 officers worked for city police agencies, while 13 were sheriff’s department personnel, and another 13 worked for state agencies. The remaining 10 worked for county, federal, territorial, and tribal offices.
Six deaths occurred in Texas. Five law enforcement officials died in Illinois and four officers serving in Alabama died. California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Tennessee each saw three officer deaths.
