Law Enforcement Officers Killed In the Line Of Duty/ Past Ten Years (1999-2008)
|
YEAR |
FELONIOUS
DEATHS |
ACCIDENTAL
DEATHS |
TOTAL
DEATHS |
|
1999 |
53 |
90 |
143 |
|
2000 |
61 |
100 |
161 |
|
2001 |
152 |
88 |
240 |
|
2002 |
74 |
83 |
157 |
|
2003 |
65 |
82 |
147 |
|
2004 |
72 |
92 |
164 |
|
2005 |
65 |
96 |
161 |
|
2006 |
60 |
92 |
152 |
|
2007 |
73 |
109 |
182 |
|
2008 |
53 |
80 |
133 |
|
TOTAL |
728 |
912 |
1640 |
|
Average |
(73
per year) |
(91
per year) |
(164
per year) |
|
Updated March 2009 |
|
Source: National LaEnfw orcement Officers Memorial Fund, Washington,
D.C.
At Issue: Forgotten Heroes
While
homicides, accidents, and other types of death are accurately accounted for on the police memorial wall, there are some heroes
whose names are not present- those approximately 140 officers in 2008 and in the past that have died by suicide. It is apparent
that suicide is not considered a “line of duty death” in the view of those who prescribed requirements for the
wall. In my view, as a researcher and retired police officer, I do not agree with this policy. It seems that the inscription
on the memorial's east wall “In Valor there is Hope”, has forsaken
those officers who were high in valor and indeed lost hope to such a degree that
they took their own lives. They are no less a hero.
An example told
by a police suicide survivor:
I watched my husband
deteriorate the last three to four weeks of his life, and I couldn't stop it. He shot and killed himself the morning of March 8, 1995, in an undercover facility where we had lived in isolation and anonymity for the last year of his life. He was 45
years old. I wanted so desperately to have someone come over and try to talk with him, to help us, but no one could visit the house or know where we lived or what we did; not even other agents or family.
There was no where to turn. I felt helpless and hopeless. Pacing... wringing hands .... I can’t do it ... I
begged him - let’s just walk out the door and leave
... Take nothing with us, just get in the car and go. We lived in
a fishbowl, you see; it was the only way; but,
he would not even consider it. Being an FBI Agent was who he was, how he defined himself.
He was like many of
you – driven personality, unable to show his emotions, he had to appear unshakable, strong, and independent. He
was my rock. With cops, there’s always a wall, even with family members, even when we were both cops. In other words, he had to be no
less than perfect. These are admirable qualities in a person and desirable qualities we want in our law enforcement. We want
strong, motivated, and independent personnel who can take charge of any given situation. However, these qualities come with a price.
We must change the perception in our law enforcement institutions that you “suck it up and go on.” We need to be there
for our own. Certainly, no one else will be.
Does Police Work Cause Suicide?
As a former trooper
and researcher, I have explored suicide among police officers for the past 23 years. It’s generally a similar pattern
that emerges- stress, trauma, isolation, work problems, suicide. The science bears this out, based on the significantly increased
risk for suicide among police officers as compared to similar occupations such as firefighters and military personnel. According
to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data, the risk of an officer dying by suicide in three times greater than the risk of
homicide. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that police officers have a seven-fold higher risk of dying from suicide that the average worker.
There are of
course many reasons why a person commits suicide. Among them, exposure to trauma and life stress ranks high. This was obvious
among returning Vietnam veterans, of which, according to the
Journal of the American Medical Association, some 20,000 veterans committed suicide. During the course of a career, an average
police officer sees more traumatic events than any non-police person will see in their entire lifetime. This exposure is cumulative,
that is, it adds up over time. There is a saturation point in everyone as to how much trauma and stress one can endure. The
more the stress we experience, the quicker we reach that point. When we run out of the ability to positively cope with stress,
we engage in maladaptive coping- this may include alcohol, drugs, relationship problems, or suicide.
Other
factors can be considered in suicide. Among those are relationship problems at home and work, financial difficulties, and
legal problems. One might first think that these are not related to police work,
but on second look they are. Many facets of police work lead to problems at home, including shift work for example. Legal difficulties might certainly be related to IA investigations closely related to the job.
The point: if
one is regularly exposed to what police officers experience – death, human misery, abused children, crime, and negative
events- the pathway to saturation is accelerated. As a result of “reaching
the end” of coping ability, suicide is the ultimate form of maladaptive behavior.
So, why are these fallen heroes not on the wall?
To me and many
others, it is regrettable that the names of officers who die by suicide are not on the memorial wall. Let us take a lesson
from the movement to include Vietnam veterans on their memorial
wall who died by suicide - a gesture to memorialize and honor those who served their country, and finally a place which may
serve to help prevent suicides in the future.
The
exclusion of officers from the memorial wall who died by suicide forsakes the sacrifice they gave to the job. As one police suicide survivor correctly stated: “my husband
should be remembered for how he lived, not how he died”. Has the wall
forgotten how they lived and the heroes that they are?
The term “line
of duty death” needs revision to include those officers who literally gave their lives for the job. Apparently the stigma associated with suicide has heavily influenced the decision to exclude officers
form the wall. Quite frankly, I would be proud to stand next to any brother or
sister police officer on the wall. It does not matter how he or she died, it does matter how they lived and
that they too were police officers. Let us once more reflect on the police memorial inscription “In Valor there is Hope”. Valor is present in every police officer; it is hope that is lost in the
officer who dies by suicide. Also, let us not forget our police family –
honor ALL police officers who die “in the line of duty”, not only for them but also for the many survivors who
grieve their loss. They too should be made proud.
Article from Badge of Life.com
