Police line-of-duty deaths drop 66% with fewer shootings, crashes, new report says

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Police deaths in the line of duty have plummeted 66% in the first half of 2023 compared to last year, according to a report from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

The memorial fund released a report on Tuesday detailing law enforcement deaths between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2023, finding that 52 officers had died. That is down from 153 officers who died over the same period in 2022. 

"There is no good news in reporting the death of even a single police officer," said the memorial fund's interim CEO, Bill Alexander. "Yet based on this preliminary data, we are cautiously optimistic that conditions may be improving for our law enforcement professionals who willingly put themselves at risk to serve and protect."

According to the report, firearm-related deaths dropped 24% compared to 2022, while traffic deaths dropped 63%.

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Police deaths in the line of duty have plummeted 66% in the first half of 2023 compared to last year, according to a report from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. (Medford Police)

The organizations said the youngest officer killed was just 23 years old, while the oldest was in his mid-70s. The vast majority of officers killed were male, at 47, while just five female officers killed.

The fund's report also noted a steep decrease in COVID-19 deaths among law enforcement officers – from 72 down to 2.

The memorial fund's mid-year report is based on preliminary data and is not final.

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Two Bristol Police department officers hug before a joint police funeral in Connecticut. Analysts have tracked some 52 line-of-duty police deaths in 2023, down from 2022. (AP Photo/David Collins)

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Louisiana had the most police deaths of any state at six, while Wisconsin and Pennsylvania trailed with four each. California, Florida, Indiana, New Jersey, and Oklahoma had the third-highest number with three officer deaths each, the report found.

Meanwhile, 26 states, as well as Washington, D.C., have not lost an officer so far in 2023.