January 12, 2023 – COVID-19 continued to be the leading reason for death amongst law enforcement officials last yr.
A new report According to police data, 70 officers died from COVID-related causes after contracting the virus while on duty. The number is down dramatically from 2021, when 405 officer deaths were attributed to COVID.
The annual count was released Wednesday by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
In total, 226 officers died within the line of duty in 2022, a decrease of 61% in comparison with 2021.
The decline was “almost entirely due to the significant reduction in COVID-19 deaths,” the report said. The authors said the decline was likely on account of “lower infection rates and the widespread availability and use of vaccines.”
Reported deaths included federal, state, tribal and native law enforcement officials.
Firearm deaths were the second leading reason for death amongst law enforcement officials, with 64 in 2022. This number increased 21% in 2021, above the last decade average of 53 firearm deaths per yr between 2010 and 2020.
Traffic-related causes were the third leading reason for death in 2022, with 56 deaths.
“While the number of deaths in the line of duty is declining overall, the ongoing trend of higher than average firearm deaths remains a serious concern,” said Marcia Ferranto, the organization’s board chair, in a Press release“Using and reporting this data allows us to highlight the ongoing cost of maintaining our democracy, which is sadly measured in the lives of the many law enforcement officers who sacrifice everything to fulfill their promise to serve and protect.”