Texas deadliest state for police officers on duty

[Guest guest]

Texas deadliest state for police officers on duty

WASHINGTON — Fewer police officers died in the line of duty in 2008 compared

with last year, reflecting better training and tactics, two law enforcement

support groups reported Sunday. Texas, where 14 officers died, had the highest

number of fatalities of any state.

The findings reversed the trend for 2007, when there was a spike in police

deaths, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and

another group, Concerns of Police Survivors.

The groups reported fatalities through Sunday.

Officer deaths this year totaled 140, compared with 181 in 2007.

Gunfire deaths dropped to 41 officers, compared with 68 in 2007. The 2008 number

represented the lowest total since 1956, when there were 35, and was far below

the peak of 156 officers killed by gunfire in 1973.

Traffic-related deaths also declined, with 71 officers killed this year,

compared with 83 in 2007. It was the 11th consecutive year in which more

officers were killed in traffic incidents than from any other cause.

More than 61 percent of this year’s fatalities involved accidents; the remainder

resulted from criminal acts.

The only downside was the increase in deaths of female officers: 15 in 2008

compared with six a year ago. More female officers than before are in harm’s

way, the groups said, because they’re taking on the same dangerous assignments

as men.

After Texas, the states with the most deaths were California with 12, followed

by Florida and Pennsylvania with eight apiece.

In Tarrant County, the last officer to be killed was Fort Worth Officer Dwayne

Freeto, who died when his patrol car was struck on Interstate 35W by a drunken

driver in December 2006.

Freeto was sitting in his car after he had stopped on the side of the road to

help a motorist when his vehicle was struck from behind, leading to a fiery

four-car crash.

This report includes material from the Star-Telegram archives.

[Guest guest]

Would like to see the percentage instead of numbers, since there are more

officers now then back then. That would be a better way to compare instead

of totals. i think you would actually see a bigger drop with percentage

then totals. Just my $0.02 worth!

[Guest guest]

Also a common denominator....say looking at the number of officers killed per

100,000 officers as is the commonly reported death rate ratio supplied by the

Federal Dept of Labor.? I am not surprised that the four most populated (and

larger) states had the highest number of cops killed.? If Rhode Island had more

killed than Texas or California...I would be very concerned....

Thanks for the article Joby....I am not aiming at you...just another " fine " job

of journalistic reporting by that printed document in Fort Worth.

Dudley

Re: Texas deadliest state for police officers on duty

Would like to see the percentage instead of numbers, since there are more

officers now then back then. That would be a better way to compare instead

of totals. i think you would actually see a bigger drop with percentage

then totals. Just my $0.02 worth!