POLICE FACTS & FIGURES

There are approximately 850,000 sworn law enforcement officers now serving in the United States, which is the highest figure ever. About 14 percent of those officers are female.


In 2001, there were over 1.4 million violent crimes committed in the United States (according to the National Crime Victimization Survey conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics). The annual number of violent crimes has declined by 35 percent since it peaked in 1993 at four million.


Crime fighting has taken its toll. Since the first recorded police death in 1792, there have been more than 16,000 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.


A total of 1,655 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty during the last 10 years, an average of one death every 53 hours or 165 per year. There were 148 Law Enforcement officers killed in 2002.
see state by state numbers


On average, more than 56,000 law enforcement officers are assaulted each year, resulting in some 16,000 injuries.


The deadliest year in law enforcement history was 1974 when 271 officers were killed. The deadliest decade was the 1970s when a total of 2,240 officers died, or 224 each year. That figure dropped dramatically in the 1990s to 157 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 576 deaths. California has lost 1,334 officers, more than any other state. The state with the fewest deaths is Vermont, with 15.


There are 866 federal officers on the Memorial, as well as 436 correctional officers and 44 military law enforcement officers.


There are 188 female officers listed on the Memorial, only nine of whom were killed prior to 1970.


During the last 10 years, more officers were killed feloniously on Fridays than any other day of the week. The fewest number of felonious fatalities occurred on Sundays. More officers were killed between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. than during any other two-hour period over the past decade.

FACTS & FIGURES National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund