Spotlight on Criminal Justice: Observing National Police Week – May 12 to May 18, 2024

This year’s National Police Week began on May 12, 2024. The first observance was in 1962 with a proclamation from President John F. Kennedy. He designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which the date falls as Police Week. The White House recently issued a proclamation on Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Officer Week, as have many other states and cities, in recognition of the officers who lost their lives in the line of duty while serving and protecting others.

Progression and Purpose of Police Week

In 1791, Constable Darius Quimby was the first recorded law enforcement officer to be killed in the line of duty. There was no movement to honor officers who made the ultimate sacrifice for their communities until the 1962 presidential proclamation, and another 20 years passed until a national memorial service was held on Capitol Hill. In 1994, President Bill Clinton signed a law to have flags flown at half-staff in all government buildings on May 15 each year. What began with a small gathering of approximately 120 survivors and supporters of law enforcement in 1982 has grown into National Police Week, with 25,000 to 40,000 law enforcement officers and supporters gathering at our nation’s capital every year. Events are sponsored and include a candlelight vigil, daily receptions, seminars, and opportunities to connect with law enforcement agencies from across the country and the globe.

Scope of the Issue

The number of officers who die in the line of duty is tracked by individual police departments, is reflected in state-level statistics, and is available through the National Fraternal Order of Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s annual report on Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), and the Officer Down Memorial Page. According to the NLEOMF, 24,067 officers have died in the line of duty since 1786. Deaths are broken down by state and by type of death: felonious killing, 9/11-related illness, aircraft accident, assault, automobile crash, boating accident, drowned, duty-related illness, electrocution, fire, gunfire, inadvertent gunfire, heart attack, stabbed, struck by a vehicle, and vehicular assault. Statistics also include K9 line of duty deaths.

The majority of victims in felonious slayings are 40 years old, male, white, and have served an average of 13 years of duty. For context, the overwhelming majority of police officers in the United States are white males. Deaths more commonly occur in the performance of investigative or enforcement activities; officers are rarely ambushed or victims of unprovoked attacks. Firearms are the primary weapon responsible for the death, including the victim officer’s service weapon. Most perpetrators are white men with an average age of 31 years old and a history of prior criminal arrests.

Fortunately, the number of officers killed by firearms in 2023 decreased by 25 percent and remains far below the rates of officer deaths compared to 50 years ago. However, the number of officers shot while on duty increased by 14 percent from the prior year, so advances in training and medicine might have contributed to the decline in officer deaths.

Efforts to Reduce Police Officer Deaths

Policing has long been associated with a culture of masculinity that precludes officers from prioritizing their mental and physical well-being. Beyond the number of officer deaths stemming from interactions with the community in the performance of police duties, statistics also include deaths associated with lifestyle and health choices, such as heart attacks and duty-related illness. Working conditions and exposure to stress and trauma place officers at an increased risk of health-related injuries and illnesses compared to the general public. Amidst a national recruiting and retention crisis, professional policing organizations are encouraging officers and administrators to focus on their health and wellness. While lowering physical fitness standards can increase the number of candidates, this short-term approach may result in a long-term increase of risk of injury or death on duty. Poor health compromises the officer’s ability to do their job safely and effectively. Physically fit officers show greater attention to physical and public safety, have fewer injuries and absences from work, fewer health-related costs, increased productivity, and an improved ability to perform work-related tasks. The International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Bureau of Justice Assistance recommend that agencies prioritize physical fitness from recruitment through retirement.

Conclusion

As National Police Week draws to a close, it is imperative that we honor the officers who died in the line of duty, while simultaneously implementing strategies of wellness and peer support that reduce officer injury and death.  Trauma-informed policing, de-escalation training, and educating officers on the signs and symptoms of vicarious trauma can increase officer safety in responding to calls for service and encourage officer willingness to engage in supportive services to cope with job-related stress. Improving police-community relationships can also keep officers safer. A list of officer safety and wellness resources can be found here. The 2024 event schedule and more information on national activities of honor, remembrance, and support is available here.