Washington, DC, Dec. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The number of law enforcement professionals nationwide who died in the line of duty in 2020 is still being researched and reconciled as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to make an incremental impact on the data. As such, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund has announced that its annual proprietary law enforcement fatalities report will be released on Monday, January 11, 2021, according to this statement by the organization’s CEO, Marcia Ferranto:
"As the leading authority for line-of-duty deaths, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is preparing to release its 2020 Law Enforcement Officers Fatalities Report on Monday, January 11, 2021. The stringent review process includes agency submissions, medical review, and committee review to qualify the death as an official line-of-duty death. As of December 29, 2020, submissions continue to flow into our research team, proving this will be one of the deadliest years in law enforcement history.
The year 2020 has proven to be an horrific year for law enforcement. America’s law enforcement officers were confronted with the pandemic, protests, and defund-police movements, which made it not only one of the most challenging years in recent memory but one of the deadliest. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund has confirmed that the Covid-19 pandemic has accounted for more officer line-of-duty deaths than firearms or traffic fatalities combined. We have also determined that the total number of fatalities will be the largest since the terrorist attacks in 2001. Unfortunately, as the pandemic rages on and new Covid-related fatalities cases are confirmed by our Covid-19 Task Force, the final total number of officer line-of-duty deaths may be the largest in nearly half a century.
The National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum has as a key pillar of its mission to make it safer for those who serve. With the combined efforts of our Research Department, Covid-19 Task Force, and Destination Zero program, we are poised to have a significant impact on helping to keep names off the wall through our Law Enforcement safety programs and best practice publications."
To schedule an interview following the release of this report, contact Mary Petto, Chief Public Engagement Officer, at (202) 737-7130, or via email at mpetto@nleomf.org.
– # # # –
About the National Law Enforcement Memorial and MuseumEstablished in 1984, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to telling the story of American law enforcement and making it safer for those who serve. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial contains the names of 22,217 officers who have died in the line of duty throughout U.S. history. For more information about the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, visit LawMemorial.org. Authorized by Congress in 2000, the 57,000-square-foot National Law Enforcement Museum at the Motorola Solutions Foundation Building tells the story of American law enforcement by providing visitors a “walk in the shoes” experience along with educational journeys, immersive exhibitions, and insightful programs. The Museum is an initiative of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information on the Law Enforcement Museum, visit LawEnforcementMuseum