Law enforcement deaths hit 80-year low in 2025

By Brett Rowland
The Center Square

Police deaths on the job fell 25% in 2025 to 111, an 80-year low not seen since World War II.

The number of law enforcement professionals nationwide who died in 2025 declined by a quarter compared to the same time period last year, according to preliminary data provided by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

The NLEOMF data shows that 111 federal, state, county, municipal, and U.S. Territories officers died in the line of duty in 2025. That’s a 25% decrease compared to the 148 officers who died in 2024, according to the organization.

“This encouraging downward trend in fatalities likely reflects the continued adoption of proven best practices by police, sheriff, and corrections agencies, as well as a growing emphasis on the physical and psychological health of the men and women who work to keep our communities safe,” National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund CEO Bill Alexander said.

The 111 line-of-duty deaths in 2025 represents a near-historic low. The last time annual officer fatalities were at a comparable level was in 1943, when 94 officers were killed in the line of duty.

Of the 111 line-of-duty deaths, 44 officers were killed in firearms-related fatalities, 34 were traffic-related fatalities and 33 were listed as “other.” That category contains a variety of health-related deaths and other line-of-duty fatalities, according to the group.

Most of the deaths were male officers. There were 102 male officers killed in the line of duty, and 9 female officers.

The average age of the fallen officers is 44, with an average of 14 years of service.

On average, officers left behind two children, according to the group.

The report comes as politicians look for ways to reduce violence against police amid a number of high-profile attacks during President Donald Trump’s controversial nationwide immigration enforcement campaign.

Trump’s crackdowns have led to protests, disruptions and attacks on federal officers.

In November, an attacker shot two National Guard members from West Virginia near the White House.

In another high-profile attack, suspects ambushed authorities at the Prairieland Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Texas.

On July 4, a planned ambush occurred at a detention facility south of Fort Worth in which several dozen rounds were fired at a detention facility in Alvarado in Johnson County. One Alvarado police officer was struck in the neck during the attack.

Assaults against ICE officers are up more than 1,000% compared to the same time period last year, according to U.S. Department of Homeland Security data, The Center Square previously reported.