FBI: 72 Law Enforcement Officers Killed in the Line of Duty Last Year

FBI ^ | November 19, 2012

[Zakeet]

Making the Ultimate Sacrifice
Report on Law Enforcement Officer Deaths Released

Tragically, during 2011, 72 law enforcement officers from around the nation were killed in the line of duty, while another 53 officers died in accidents while performing their duties. And 54,774 officers were assaulted in the line of duty…all according to our just-released annual report Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2011Here’s a look at some of the data collected for this report:

• While the 72 officers killed in the line of duty came from city, university and college, county, state, tribal, and federal agencies, the majority (50) were employed by city police departments.
• The average age of the officers feloniously killed was 38, while their average length of service was 12 years. Forty-nine of these officers were slain while on assigned vehicle patrol.
• Most of the 72 officers slain were killed with firearms, and 51 of these officers were wearing body armor at the time of their murders.
• Of the 53 officers who died accidentally, 39 were killed as a result of vehicle-related accidents.
• The rate of officer assaults in 2011 was 10.2 per 100 sworn officers.

Our Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) report is intended to provide law enforcement agencies with detailed descriptions of circumstances leading to officer fatalities. This data can then be incorporated into police training programs to help officers stay safe during similar situations.

The primary goal of our overall LEOKA program is to reduce incidents of law enforcement deaths and assaults. In addition to its annual report, the program also offers an officer safety awareness training course that provides potentially life-saving information to help law enforcement personnel enhance their situational awareness during activities like arrests, traffic stops, foot pursuits, ambushes, and other high-risk encounters that police face on a daily basis.

Beyond services provided by the LEOKA program, the FBI offers other training initiatives geared towards officer safety to our law enforcement partners.

For example:

• Our one-week Law Enforcement Training for Safety and Survival program at the FBI Academy is designed to teach participants basic survival techniques as well as the skills and mindset required to identify and handle critical situations in high-risk environments (i.e., arrests, low light operations, ballistic shield deployment).
• Our National Academy curriculum includes a communications course for law enforcement leaders on how to incorporate measures into their policies that will help ensure the future emotional well-being of officers who have survived shootings (as well as officers who have shot suspects).

In addition to the above training, the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC)—accessed by more than 92,000 agencies—offers a measure of protection for law enforcement as well, particularly through its recently added Violent Persons File. Once fully populated with data from our users, a quick response from an online NCIC query can warn officers on the spot if, during a routine traffic stop or another type of encounter, they come across an individual who has a violent criminal history or who has previously threatened law enforcement.

The release of this latest LEOKA report clearly demonstrates what we already know—despite the dangers of law enforcement, the profession continues to attract brave men and women willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect their fellow citizens.

[chargers fan]

Two things I don’t like on FR: People who think it’s alright whatever cops do (although there are few here who do) and those that have gotten to the point of hating cops. Both will go at each other on this thread.

[supercat]

Actually, the communists attempt to undermine law enforcement at every turn, paint local law enforcement as an evil that needs to be replaced, and then put into place a military police force or at the very least, federalize law enforcement power.

Leftists try to eliminate any distinction between peace officers who actually follow the law and benefit the public, and tyranny-enforcement officers whose really interests undermine both the rule of law and the public good. It's unclear from the statistics how many officers of each type were killed.

It would be very interesting, for example, to know how many officers were killed while attempting to knock on their door and show them a warrant which was obtained on the basis of probable cause backed up by sworn statements relating the personal knowledge the person swearing to them(*)

I've read of many cases in which cops smashed into people's homes, assaulted the occupants, and in many cases slaughtered their pets, and claimed such behavior was necessary to ensure "officer safety". In some such cases, the cops in question get injured or killed (sometimes from "friendly fire", and sometimes by homeowners who identify the people smashing into their house as robbers). I strongly suspect that cops would be much safer if they conducted reasonable searches rather than violent raids; indeed, I don't think I've heard of any recent cases where cops conducting reasonable searches have come to harm.

(*) For some reason, courts don't seem to enforce the material in italics; though the Constitution's "oath or affirmation" requirement doesn't explicitly say that the oath or affirmation must relate to the personal knowledge of the person making the statement, the Constitution's requirement would be rendered meaningless if it could be satisfied by someone swearing under oath that someone who wasn't under oath said something.

[freedomfiter2]

How many innocent citizens were killed by cops last year?

[N. Theknow]

72 LEO's died on the job and all you can do is compare it to commercial fishing and say it is no big deal?

You are beyond pathetic!

[KTM rider]

crocodile tears here, LEO's are the government, I am not too fond of the government lately and lost respect for metro and state police, they are little more than bully meter maids in my book,

there may still be a few good andy griffiths out there somewhere but getting few and far between

sorry, thats just the opinion I have formed over my lifetime of being an average citizen trying to abide by the law and getting more harrassment than help

[Carry_Okie]

72 LEO's died on the job and all you can do is compare it to commercial fishing and say it is no big deal?

No, but I can call the bulk of wailing and crying in the MSM about how dangerous being a LEO is blatant union hustling for ridiculous work rules and outrageous pensions, not to mention increasingly abusive police powers. Just to give you a feel for it, police sergeants in our area are dragging down $200,000 a year in retirement at the age of 50.

I'm tired of seeing two police cruisers for every routine traffic stop, I'm sick to death when officers making said traffic stops greet a citizen presumed innocent as if they were such an immediate threat to their lives that they have to have a gun at the ready, I'm tired of SWAT team abuses, and I long for the days when CITIZENS in this country did the bulk of law enforcement. Our lives and property were a lot safer.

You are beyond pathetic!

Masticate feces and expire. If you are so hot and bothered to live in a police state I suggest you turn in your weapons and relocate.

[Alaska Wolf]

So much as touching one of these pussies

How long were you incarcerated?

[CodeToad]

“How long were you incarcerated?”

Nice try but never. Typical pussy answer: “They hate cops so they must have been jailed”. How feeble minded. Typical cop mentality. You know, in military training they always warn students, “You had better pass because if you fail we’ll make you a cook or a cop.”

[CodeToad]

“You are a communist hippie!!!!!!!!”

Because I don’t care for cops killing pet dogs, killing children, raiding homes and killing innocents including Marine vets?

So, I guess since you disagree with me that means you do support cops killing dogs, children, and vets, and you call me the commie? Do you know what a Fascist is? It is a person that supports government action as that is their identify of the nation, not the identify of the people, but the government. Do you know what your support for any and all government actions is? Yeah, that’s right, a Fascist. Formal definition. Live with it, Fascist.

[GalaxyAB]

I was being sarcastic. I am in complete agreement with you.

Another poster was accusing anyone drifting from his/her/its POV of being a communist. I threw in the ‘hippie’ because I suppose he/she/it thinks all hippies are communists too.

For the record (such as it is on FR) I believe the police are about at the point of being out of control in this country.

[CodeToad]

Well, then, my apologies. Sorry. Written words can sometimes not show sarcasm so well and I didn’t get that hint.

[GalaxyAB]

No worries. I should have been specific.

[Alaska Wolf]

Typical pussy answer:

What was the question, Einstooge?