Deaths of on-duty legislation enforcement officers within the U.S. decreased by practically 25% in 2025, in line with an annual report.
The report from the Nationwide Legislation Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, shared with The Related Press forward of its launch Tuesday, exhibits a drop in all classes of fatalities, from 148 complete 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 at the least a decade, in line with the Fund’s earlier annual officer fatality reviews.
“I at all times wish to see that firearms deaths are down. They’re the tip of the spear for egregious acts,” mentioned 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.
Visitors-related deaths additionally decreased practically 23% between 2024 and 2025, together with each deadly site visitors accidents and officers killed after being struck by a car — often throughout site visitors stops.
“Even one officer fatality is simply too many, and our final objective is to have none. However we’re heartened by any lower in these numbers,” Alexander mentioned.
Alexander mentioned the discount in traffic-related officer deaths probably will 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 site visitors stops or accidents whereas passing them. There have been elevated efforts to direct officers to strategy the passenger facet of automobiles throughout site visitors stops, eradicating them from journey lanes, Alexander mentioned.
The explanation behind the lower in firearm fatalities is more durable to outline. Whereas many departments have provided elevated security coaching and have higher tools for firearm accidents, Alexander mentioned luck and different unquantifiable elements additionally play a task.
“A few of it may 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 tools,” he mentioned.
Fewer fatalities additionally does not imply fewer situations of officers being shot or being shot at, he mentioned.
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 capturing 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 individuals 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 best way 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 companies 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 contains 14 officers who died final yr from diseases associated to responding to the Sept. 11 terrorist assaults.
Earlier annual reviews included COVID-19 deaths, which elevated fatality numbers considerably in 2020 and 2021, however Alexander mentioned 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 mentioned the group is having conversations about the right way to honor and embody these officers.
