News

January 5, 2004
Law enforcement officer fatalities reach 148 for 2003
Shootings and automobile accidents cited as leading causes of death

WASHINGTON, D.C.—In the year 2003, 148 law enforcement officers across the nation were killed in the line of duty, representing the second year in a row that the number has been well below the decade-long average of 166 annual police deaths. The 142 male and six female officers who died worked in 38 of our nation's 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico and one federal agency. According to the 2003 "Fallen Heroes Report" released jointly by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) and the Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS), the states with the highest number of officer fatalities were: California (18); Georgia (10); Texas (10); Virginia (8); and Florida, Louisiana, and Tennessee (7). California saw the greatest increase in officer fatalities with an increase of eight from the pervious year. The most significant drop in officer fatalities was experienced by federal law enforcement with nine fewer deaths in 2003 than in 2002. The 148 officers killed in 2003 matched the fatality figure recorded in 2002.

Of the 148 officers killed during 2003, preliminary data shows that 53 died in automobile accidents; 52 were shot to death; 13 were struck by automobiles while on duty outside their vehicles; 11 died in motorcycle accidents; six succumbed to job-related illnesses; four drowned; two suffered fatal beatings; two fell to their deaths; one was stabbed to death; one died in an aircraft accident; one was electrocuted; one was strangled; and one was hit by a train.

Once again, traffic crashes continue to take a heavy toll on law enforcement officers -- out of 148 killed: 53 died in automobile crashes; 13 were struck by automobiles while on duty outside their vehicles; and, 11 died in motorcycle crashes. That's 77 deaths out of 148, or 52%, directly related to traffic crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has available the Law Enforcement Driver Training Reference Guide: 2000. This 2000 edition, and the initial publication of the Guide in 1989 and its republication in 1991, is the product of a Cooperative Agreement with the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standard and Training (IADLEST).

The Guide is the results of a joint committee consisting of instructors and practitioners from IADLEST, assisted by representatives from the Association of Professional Law Enforcement Emergency Vehicle Response Trainers (ALERT) and the National Traffic Law Center (NTLC). The Guide contains a generic curriculum with learning objectives, a student evaluation system and a law enforcement driver-trainer instructor qualification process. The information is presented in the form of concepts along with guidelines and directions for implementation. It is intended to serve as a guide for developing a driver training process. Law enforcement agencies and training academies can use this document in reviewing their specific needs and evaluating their current training process.

The Guide is the product of numerous contributors and has been reviewed by several law enforcement organizations to include: IADLEST, the Association of Law Enforcement Emergency Response Driver Trainers and the International Association of Chiefs of Police Highway Safety Committee Chair.

A copy of the Guide can be obtained by replying to this email with your complete shipping address, to include street address, zip code and telephone number.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Guide, please do not hesitate to contact:

Earl Hardy
Senior Highway Safety Specialist
Enforcement and Justice Services Division
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
400 Seventh Street, S.W. (NTI-122)
Suite 5130
Washington, D.C. 20590

Telephone: 202-366-4292
FAX: 202-366-7721
Email: Earl.Hardy@nhtsa.dot.gov