Police Deaths On Rise Again

July 21, 2000
Line-of-duty deaths of U.S. law enforcement officers are on the\r\nrise again, according to mid-year figures released today by the\r\nNational Association of Chiefs of Police.

Line-of-duty deaths of U.S. law enforcement officers are on the rise again, according to mid-year figures released today by the National Association of Chiefs of Police (NACOP).

Sixty-eight officers died in the line of duty during the first six months of 2000, according to preliminary figures, while the final death toll for the first half of 1999 was 61.

The seven additional deaths represent an 11.5 percent increase over a year earlier.

"While there was much hope that the decline in deaths in 1999 was part of a downward trend, the first-half figures would indicate that, tragically, the many hazards of law enforcement are taking a rising toll on officers," said Dennis Ray Martin, NACOP public information officer.

Final figures for 1999 show 126 line-of-duty deaths, down from 162 in 1998 and 161 in 1997.

Preliminary reports for 1999 indicated 108 officer fatalities, which would have been the lowest total since 103 officers died in 1965; however, late reports of additional deaths increased the final count.

Among the 68 line-of-duty deaths in the first half of this year, 31 were in traffic accidents, 24 were in shootings, five were in aircraft accidents, two were in drownings, one was a result of a heart attack and one was the result of a stabbing.

The first-half 2000 count also included four deaths categorized as "miscellaneous," with officers falling from a horse, a bicycle, a catwalk, as well as one up on whom a utility pole fell at an accident.

Eight of the first-half 2000 officer deaths were in California, while seven were in Georgia.

by Virginia Sutcliffe

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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