2013 End-of-Year Law Enforcement Fatalities Report
According to preliminary data compiled by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 111 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in 2013. This is a eight percent decrease from 2012.
According to preliminary data compiled by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 111 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty in 2013, an eight percent decrease from 2012, when 121 officers were killed. This was the fewest number of fatalities for the law enforcement profession since 1959 when 110 officers died.
Fatalities by State: End-of-Year 2013
Texas, once again, led the nation in officer fatalities, losing 13 officers in 2013. California followed closely behind with 10 fatalities, and Mississippi and New York each lost seven officers, and Arkansas followed with six fatalities. Nine federal officers, two officers from U.S. territories and a tribal officer were killed in 2013. Sixteen states and the District of Columbia did not lose an officer in 2013.
Circumstances of Fatal Shootings in 2013
Ambush attacks were again the leading circumstance of officer fatalities in firearms-related deaths. Of the 33 firearms-related fatalities in 2013, seven officers were shot and killed in ambush attacks, more than any circumstance of fatal shootings in 2013.
Officer Deaths by Time of Day and Day of Week in 2013
The deadliest time of day for officers in 2013 was between 11:00 pm and 12:00 am, with eight officers killed in that time-frame. The least deadly time of day was between 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm, with zero officers killed. Fridays were the deadliest day of the week with 22 fatalities. Mondays were the least deadly day of the week with 11 fatalities.
Recent Research Bulletins
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: Mid-Year 2013 Report
Preliminary 2013 Law Enforcement Officer Fatalities
December 30, 2013 vs. December 30, 2012
| 2013 |
2012 | % Change | |
| Total Fatalities | 111 | 120 | -8% |
| Firearms-related | 33 | 49 | -33% |
| Traffic-related | 46 | 47 | -2% |
| Other Causes | 32 | 24 | +33% |
|
December 30, 2013 to December 30, 2012. |
|||
2013 Fatalities by State
| Texas | 13 |
| California | 10 |
| Mississippi | 7 |
| New York | 7 |
| Arkansas | 6 |
| Louisiana | 5 |
| Alabama | 4 |
| Illinois | 4 |
| Florida | 4 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 |
| Georgia | 3 |
| Michigan | 3 |
| Alaska | 2 |
| Arizona | 2 |
| Kentucky | 2 |
| North Carolina | 2 |
| Oklahoma | 2 |
| South Carolina | 2 |
| Virginia | 2 |
| Colorado | 1 |
| Indiana | 1 |
| Iowa | 1 |
| Maryland | 1 |
| Massachusetts | 1 |
| Minnesota | 1 |
| Nevada | 1 |
| New Mexico | 1 |
| Ohio | 1 |
| Oregon | 1 |
| Tennessee | 1 |
| Utah | 1 |
| Washington | 1 |
| West Virginia | 1 |
| Wisconsin | 1 |
Federal Agencies: 9
U.S. Territories: 2
Tribal: 1
Law Enforcement Facts
Key Data about the Profession
- There are more than 900,000 sworn law enforcement officers now serving in the United States, which is the highest figure ever. About 12 percent of those are female.
- According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, an estimated 1.2 million violent crimes occurred nationwide in 2011, a four percent decrease from 2010.
- Crime fighting has taken its toll. Since the first recorded police death in 1791, there have been over 19,000 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. Currently, there are 19,981 names engraved on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.
- A total of 1,539 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty during the past 10 years, an average of one death every 57 hours or 154 per year. There were 120 law enforcement officers killed in 2012.
- On average, over the last decade, there have been 58,261 assaults against law enforcement each year, resulting in 15,658 injuries.
- The 1920s were the deadliest decade in law enforcement history, when a total of 2,355 officers died, or an average of almost 236 each year. The deadliest year in law enforcement history was 1930, when 293 officers were killed. That figure dropped dramatically in the 1990s, to an average of 161 per year.
- The deadliest day in law enforcement history was September 11, 2001, when 72 officers were killed while responding to the terrorist attacks on America.
- New York City has lost more officers in the line of duty than any other department, with 697 deaths. Texas has lost 1,653 officers, more than any other state. The state with the fewest deaths is Vermont, with 22.
- There are 1,057 federal officers listed on the Memorial, as well as 610 correctional officers and 31 military law enforcement officers.
- There are 270 female officers listed on the Memorial; twelve female officers were killed in 2012.
- During the past ten years, more incidents that resulted in felonious fatalities occurred on Thursday than any other day of the week. The fewest number of felonious incidents occurred on Tuesday.