By CLAUDIA LAUER, Related Press
Deaths of on-duty legislation enforcement officers within the U.S. decreased by practically 25% in 2025, in keeping with an annual report.
The report from the Nationwide Legislation Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, shared with The Related Press forward of its launch Tuesday, reveals a drop in all classes of fatalities, from 148 whole deaths in 2024 to 111 final yr.
Officer firearm fatalities dropped to 44, a 15% lower from 52 in 2024 and the bottom quantity in a minimum of a decade, in keeping with the Fund’s earlier annual officer fatality experiences.
“I at all times wish to see that firearms deaths are down. They’re the tip of the spear for egregious acts,” stated Invoice Alexander, the chief govt officer of the Fund, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that works to memorialize fallen officers, educate the general public concerning the career and enhance officer security.
Site visitors-related deaths additionally decreased practically 23% between 2024 and 2025, together with each deadly visitors accidents and officers killed after being struck by a car — often throughout visitors stops.
“Even one officer fatality is just too many, and our final aim is to have none. However we’re heartened by any lower in these numbers,” Alexander stated.
Alexander stated the discount in traffic-related officer deaths doubtless might be attributed to a rise within the nationwide dialog round officer security on the street. Extra states across the nation have handed “move-over” legal guidelines requiring drivers to maneuver out of the lane closest to visitors stops or accidents whereas passing them. There have been elevated efforts to direct officers to strategy the passenger aspect of automobiles throughout visitors stops, eradicating them from journey lanes, Alexander stated.
The rationale behind the lower in firearm fatalities is tougher to outline. Whereas many departments have provided elevated security coaching and have higher gear for firearm accidents, Alexander stated luck and different unquantifiable components additionally play a job.
“A few of it might come all the way down to an officer being shot near a hospital or possibly the officers had a tactical emergency equipment or higher blood stopping gear,” he stated.
Fewer fatalities additionally doesn’t imply fewer cases of officers being shot or being shot at, he stated.
The Nationwide Fraternal Order of Police tracks the variety of officer shootings, each deadly and non-fatal. That report doesn’t embody incidents the place officers have been shot at and never struck by gunfire.
The 2025 FOP report, launched this week, confirmed there was a small enhance in officers shot whereas on-duty final yr — growing from 342 in 2024 to 347 in 2025.
Among the many high-profile taking pictures deaths in 2025 was Andrew Duarte, a West York Borough Police Division officer who was shot and killed in February whereas responding to a person who had taken a number of folks hostage in a York, Pennsylvania hospital. And legislation enforcement officers from across the nation attended funeral companies Monday for Delaware State Trooper Matthew “Ty” Snook, who was shot and killed whereas he was working an additional time shift at a DMV workplace on Dec. 23, after pushing a DMV worker out of the way in which of the gunman.
The Nationwide Legislation Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund’s fatality report additionally confirmed no on-duty officer fatalities in 17 states and Washington D.C., and none on the nation’s federal and tribal legislation enforcement businesses final yr.
It additionally confirmed a 37% drop within the “different” fatalities class that features bodily or medical points from on-duty incidents and most different fatalities like stabbings, drownings or airplane crashes. The quantity dropped from 52 in 2024 to 33 in 2025, and consists of 14 officers who died final yr from sicknesses associated to responding to the Sept. 11 terrorist assaults.
Earlier annual experiences included COVID-19 deaths, which elevated fatality numbers considerably in 2020 and 2021, however Alexander stated COVID deaths haven’t been included as on-duty fatalities within the final two years. The report additionally doesn’t embody officers who dedicated suicide, although Alexander stated the group is having conversations about the right way to honor and embody these officers.
