Covid Caused Most Deaths in U.S. Police Officers in 2021, Report Says

U.S.|Covid-19 was the starring origin of decease among U.S. constabulary officers successful 2021, a study says.

• Jan. 12, 2022, 7:15 a.m. ET

For the 2nd twelvemonth successful a row, Covid-19 was the starring origin of decease for law-enforcement officers successful the United States, according to a study released connected Tuesday by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

A full of 458 instrumentality enforcement officers died successful the enactment of work successful the state past year, making it the deadliest twelvemonth successful much than 90 years and a 55 percent summation from 2020, according to preliminary information compiled by the organization. Of those, it recovered that 301 federal, state, tribal and section instrumentality enforcement officers had died due to the fact that of Covid-19.

“It has been reported to NLEOMF that these officers person died owed to nonstop vulnerability to the microorganism during the committee of their authoritative duties,” the study said.

Felony assaults were liable for the deaths of 84 officers past year, including 62 officers killed by firearms, the study said. Fifty-eight were killed successful traffic-related incidents portion moving the roadways. Both the fig of deaths from firearm assaults and traffic-related fatalities had risen from the erstwhile year.

The remaining deaths were attributed to reasons specified arsenic including bosom attacks, strokes and 9/11-related illnesses, the study said. Other officers were killed successful beatings, drownings and stabbings. One serviceman was killed by floodwaters, and different was killed successful a tornado.

In the 3 decades earlier the pandemic, the organization’s yearly tally of officers killed successful the enactment of work surpassed 200 lone twice: erstwhile successful 2001 and erstwhile successful 2007. The past clip it went supra 300 was successful 1930.

While hundreds of Covid-19-related serviceman deaths were identified, the study is preliminary and its authors expected that agencies had yet to study a important fig of them. “Law enforcement officers nationwide proceed to beryllium exposed to the Covid-19 microorganism successful the people of their regular assignments,” it said. “Therefore, the fig of line-of-duty deaths is sadly ever increasing.”

Last fall, it was reported that more than 460 American instrumentality enforcement officers had died from Covid-19 infections tied to their enactment since the commencement of the pandemic. With nary broad accounting of however galore officers had been sickened with the virus, departments from seashore to seashore had reported ample outbreaks successful the ranks. Vaccinations, which person proven to beryllium effectual successful preventing terrible unwellness and death, person remained a hard merchantability to immoderate officers.

In caller months, arsenic section governments began implementing vaccine mandates for workers, immoderate constabulary officers and instrumentality enforcement unions person pushed back, threatening resignations and ineligible action.