New Report on Law Enforcement Officer Fatalities for 2010 to Be Released

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National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

Dec 21, 2010, 10:56 ET

Total line-of-duty deaths spike by over 40 percent; firearms-related killings rise 19 percent with five multiple-fatality shootings. Expert available for live or taped interviews.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new report about to be released by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) will reveal an alarming surge in officer fatalities during the past year.

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After an encouraging drop in officer fatalities in 2008 and 2009, the number of law enforcement deaths spiked dramatically in 2010, rising some 40 percent nationwide. Firearms-related fatalities rose sharply for the second year in a row—including five multiple death shooting incidents—and traffic-related deaths increased by nearly 50 percent over the previous year.

WHAT: Law Enforcement Officer Fatality Research Bulletin detailing officer fatalities in 2010. As of December 21, 154 federal, state and local law enforcement officers had died in the line of duty nationwide, a 40 percent increase over the same period last year. A total of 116 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty in 2009.

WHEN: Tuesday, December 28, 2010

WHO: Craig W. Floyd, NLEOMF Chairman and CEO, is available for live or taped interviews to discuss the report on Tuesday, December 28. To receive an embargoed copy of the report and/or schedule an interview, contact Steve Groeninger, Senior Director of Communications & Marketing, at (202) 737-7135, or via email at [email protected].

These are among the many findings of the annual report on law enforcement officer fatalities for 2010 that will be released on Tuesday, December 28, by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, which serves as the national clearinghouse for information on officer fatalities.

About the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is a private non-profit [501(c)(3)] organization dedicated to honoring the service and sacrifice of America's law enforcement officers and to promoting officer safety. The Memorial Fund built and now maintains the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC, which contains the names of 18,983 officers who have died in the line of duty throughout U.S. history. On October 14th, the Memorial Fund broke ground on the Congressionally-authorized National Law Enforcement Museum, which is scheduled for completion by the end of 2013. For more information, visit www.LawMemorial.org.

SOURCE National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund