The number of sworn law enforcement officers who died in the line-of-duty in the first half of 2024 increased 15% compared to the same time period last year, according to preliminary data from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF).
NLEOMF’s data shows that 71 federal, state, county, municipal, tribal officers from the 50 states and U.S. Territories have died in the line-of-duty in the first half of 2024, compared to 62 officers who died in the first half of 2023.
“Every single line-of-duty death we report represents a selfless sacrifice made on behalf of the community and the nation in which they serve,” said National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund CEO Bill Alexander. “We lament to document even a single such death, much less report a substantial increase in such deaths year over year. Part of our continuing mission is to use such data to not only highlight the continuing dangers faced by our law enforcement professionals, but to craft policies and training recommendations which we hope will make it safer for the noble men and women who work tirelessly to protect us.”
Firearms-Related Fatalities
Firearms-related fatalities have claimed the lives of 28 officers in 2024 so far, which represents an increase of 8% from the 26 officers killed by gunfire in the first half of 2023.
Traffic-Related Fatalities
There were 26 traffic-related fatalities in the first half of 2024; this is an increase of 136% compared to the first half of 2023, which had a total of 11.
Other Causes of Fatalities
The “other” category contains a wide variety of health-related deaths and other line-of duty fatalities. 17 officer deaths are listed in the “Other” category versus 25 for the same period last year, representing a 32% decrease from last year.
Demographics
There were 68 male officers killed in the line-of-duty, and 3 female officers. The average age of the fallen officers is 39, with an average of 13 years of service. On average, officers left behind two children.
The statistics released in the mid-year report are based on preliminary data compiled by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and may not represent a final or complete list of individual officers who will be added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in 2025.
