The National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) reported that in 2023, the number of fatalities of law enforcement officers in the line of duty fell by 40%. Nonprofit, nonpartisan organizations track law enforcement-related data.
Compared to 224 police killed in the line of duty in 2022, 136 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers perished as of Dec. 31, 2023. In 2023, there were 47 cop shooting deaths, a drop of 25% from the 63 officer deaths in 2022. This is also lower than the average number of fatalities in this category throughout the last decade.
Fifty-two police lost their lives in 2023 due to things like fires, falling items, and medical issues (such as COVID-19, heart attacks, and strokes) that occurred while they were on the job. Compared to 110 cops who lost their lives in comparable incidents in 2022, this is a 53% drop. Additionally, the number of fatalities caused by traffic decreased in 2023, going from 51 in 2022 to 37 the following year.
Even after accounting for fatalities caused by shootings, car accidents, and COVID-19, the number of police officers killed while on duty decreased last year. In 2023, a total of 136 police officers in the United States lost their lives while on duty, representing a 39% decline from the previous year’s total of 224 policemen. After reaching a record high of 586 in 2021—a year dominated by the coronavirus—this represents a declining trend.
The number of police officers killed in gunfire while on duty dropped by 25% from the previous year to 47. Despite advances in trauma treatment and protective gear like bullet-resistant vests, the number of cops hit by gunfire reached a high of 378 in another study from the National Fraternal Order of Police.
This highlights the seriousness of the weapons hazard.
