April 2012 Law Enforcement Fatality Report

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 1, 2012

Fairfax, Va. - Seven law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in the United States in April 2012. Although this is a slight increase over the five line of duty deaths in March, 2012 is still the safest year for law enforcement officers since WWII.

Most notably, in April 2012:

• Seven (7) law enforcement officers (LEOs) were killed, compared to 11 in April 2011
• Three LEOs were shot and killed
• Three LEOs were killed in vehicle collisions, including one motorcycle crash
• One LEO was killed by falling from a ladder while on duty
• The New England region suffered three line of duty deaths

The following charts are provided for reference and can be incorporated into any law enforcement training material or media reports. Please cite ODMP.

Law Enforcement Deaths by State in 2012 YTD

Not displayed: Washington, DC, had one (1) death; Puerto Rico had two (2) deaths

Comparison of Law Enforcement Deaths, 2012 vs 2011 YTD

Causes of Law Enforcement Deaths in 2012 YTD

The data provided in this report is preliminary and subject to change based on final determinations of line of duty deaths. Accurate as of May 1, 2012.


About the Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP)
ODMP is a non-profit organization dedicated to remembering all fallen law enforcement officers by creating permanent online memorials, providing instant line of duty death notifications, and keeping cop-killers behind bars through its popular No Parole for Cop Killers initiative. With over 4-million unique visitors and 40-million page views annually, it is one of the most visited law enforcement web sites, and is referenced daily by law enforcement officers, leaders, and supporters nationwide. For more information, visit www.ODMP.org.


About the Crime Museum
The Crime Museum opened its doors in 2008 with a mission to educate and provide guests memorable insight into our Nation’s history of crime and judicial system. The museum examines law enforcement, forensic science, crime scene investigation (CSI) and the consequences of committing a crime. The museum is filled with over 100 interactives and highlights a fundamental commitment to capture the audience through an entertaining and educational experience. The Crime Museum is located on 7th Street NW between E and F Streets in downtown Washington, D.C. at the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro (Arena exit). Learn more at www.crimemuseum.org.

March 2012 Law Enforcement Fatality Report

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2012

Fairfax, Va.- March 2012 experienced a 77% drop in law enforcement line of duty deaths compared to March 2011. So far in 2012, there have been only 25 law enforcement deaths nationwide, putting this year on track to be one of the safest years in law enforcement since the 1940s. Compared to the same time period in 2011, 2012 has seen 29 fewer law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty; a reduction of over 50%.

As in February, the two main contributors to these drastically low numbers are the near absence of vehicular deaths and gunfire deaths, and no single incidents in which multiple line of duty deaths occurred.

Detailed information about each law enforcement fatality can be obtained on the Officer Down Memorial Page at http://www.ODMP.org

Most notably, in March 2012:

• Only five (5) law enforcement officers (LEOs) were killed, compared to 22 in February 2011
• Two female LEOs were killed in the line of duty
• One LEO was was shot and killed
• One LEO was stabbed to death
• Three LEOs were killed in vehicle collisions
• Florida suffered the most line of duty deaths in March, with two different officers being killed feloniously

The following charts are provided for reference and can be incorporated into any law enforcement training material or media reports. Please cite ODMP.

Law Enforcement Deaths by State in 2012 YTD

Not displayed: Puerto Rico had two (2) deaths

Comparison of Law Enforcement Deaths, Jan - Mar 2012 vs Jan - Mar 2011

Causes of Law Enforcement Deaths in 2012 YTD

The data provided in this report is preliminary and subject to change based on final determinations of line of duty deaths. Accurate as of April 1, 2012.


About the Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP)
ODMP is a non-profit organization dedicated to remembering all fallen law enforcement officers by creating permanent online memorials, providing instant line of duty death notifications, and keeping cop-killers behind bars through its popular No Parole for Cop Killers initiative. With over 4-million unique visitors and 40-million page views annually, it is one of the most visited law enforcement web sites, and is referenced daily by law enforcement officers, leaders, and supporters nationwide. For more information, visit www.ODMP.org.


About the Crime Museum
The Crime Museum opened its doors in 2008 with a mission to educate and provide guests memorable insight into our Nation’s history of crime and judicial system. The museum examines law enforcement, forensic science, crime scene investigation (CSI) and the consequences of committing a crime. The museum is filled with over 100 interactives and highlights a fundamental commitment to capture the audience through an entertaining and educational experience. The Crime Museum is located on 7th Street NW between E and F Streets in downtown Washington, D.C. at the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro (Arena exit). Learn more at www.crimemuseum.org.

February 2012 Law Enforcement Fatality Report

Fairfax, Va.- With only five fatalities, February 2012 saw a 64% decrease in line of duty deaths compared to February 2011. For the first two months of the year, compared to the same time period last year, there has been a 39% decrease in line of duty deaths.

The two main contributors to this dramatic drop is the exceptionally low numbers of both gunfire and vehicle collision deaths. Additionally, there have been no single incidents in which multiple officers were killed this year.

Detailed information about each law enforcement fatality can be obtained on the Officer Down Memorial Page at http://www.ODMP.org

Most notably, in February 2012:

• Only five (5) law enforcement officers were killed, compared to 14 in February 2011
• The last time five or fewer officers were killed in a single month was November 2008, when four officers were killed
• One officer was stabbed to death
• Alabama suffered two line of duty deaths in two separate incidents

The following charts are provided for reference and can be incorporated into any law enforcement training material or media reports. Please cite ODMP.

Law Enforcement Deaths by State in 2012 YTD

Not displayed: Puerto Rico had two (2) deaths

Comparison of Law Enforcement Deaths, Jan & Feb 2012 vs Jan & Feb 2011

Causes of Law Enforcement Deaths in 2012 YTD

The data provided in this report is preliminary and subject to change based on final determinations of line of duty deaths. Accurate as of March 1, 2012.

Crime Museum Partners With the Officer Down Memorial Page

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

February 15, 2012

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Brotman•Winter•Fried Communications

Lisa Marie Czop

(703) 533-4837 or [email protected]

Crime Museum Partners With the Officer Down Memorial Page

Washington, DC – Today, the Crime Museum announced a new partnership with the Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc. (ODMP), as a new endeavor to honor our nation’s fallen heroes while offering new insight to the public on police statistics.

The Crime Museum and ODMP will collaborate to paint a picture of the danger that law enforcement officers face placing their lives on the line to solve and prevent crime. Starting in March 2012, ODMP will provide the museum with up-to-date police statistics, which will be released in a monthly report for the general public—increasing awareness of police activity and current developments. Data will highlight police death count and officers killed in the line of duty.

"Our partnership with the Officer Down Memorial Page is another exciting way for our museum to serve as an educational resource to the community,” stated Janine Vaccarello, COO of the Crime Museum. “We continue to search for new ways to educate and entertain the public on all things related to law enforcement and crime, and we believe that this relationship with ODMP will help us better complete that mission.”

In tandem with the monthly release of statistics, ODMP is also scheduled to launch a permanent exhibit within the museum in Summer 2012. The exhibit, located in the Fallen Heroes wing of the museum, will include a computer kiosk in which you can look up fallen officers.

"Our partnership with the National Museum of Crime and Punishment is an exciting opportunity for ODMP to integrate the latest Internet technologies into an interactive museum setting,” states ODMP Executive Director Chris Cosgriff. “Our exhibit will educate the general public and future law enforcement officers to the amazing, and all too often tragic, sacrifice that law enforcement officers of all types make on a daily basis. By telling the stories of these fallen heroes, we are preserving their memories and ensuring they live forever."

To view the monthly statistics, visit http://www.odmp.org/reports

About the Crime Museum
The Crime Museum opened its doors in 2008 with a mission to educate and provide guests memorable insight into our Nation’s history of crime and judicial system. The museum examines law enforcement, forensic science, crime scene investigation (CSI) and the consequences of committing a crime. The museum is filled with over 100 interactives and highlights a fundamental commitment to capture the audience through an entertaining and educational experience. The Crime Museum is located on 7th Street NW between E and F Streets in downtown Washington, D.C. at the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro (Arena exit). Learn more at www.crimemuseum.org.

About the Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP)
ODMP is a non-profit organization dedicated to remembering all fallen law enforcement officers by creating permanent online memorials, providing instant line of duty death notifications, and keeping cop-killers behind bars through its popular No Parole for Cop Killers initiative. With over 4-million unique visitors and 40-million page views annually, it is one of the most visited law enforcement web sites, and is referenced daily by law enforcement officers, leaders, and supporters nationwide. For more information, visit www.ODMP.org.

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January 2012 Law Enforcement Fatality Report

Fairfax, Va.- January 2012 saw a 17% decrease in line of duty deaths compared to the same period in 2011. However, with only one month of data, it is impossible to determine how this trend will hold for the remainder of the year.

Most notably, during this time period:

• There were 15 law enforcement officer (LEO) deaths
• Gunfire deaths dropped 30%
• Two LEOs were stabbed to death
• Four fatalities, or 30% of the total, were female LEOs
• Puerto Rico had the most deaths, with two fatalities

The following charts are provided for reference and can be incorporated into any law enforcement training material, provided that ODMP is cited as the source.

Law Enforcement Deaths by State in January 2012

Not displayed: Puerto Rico had two (2) deaths

Comparison of Law Enforcement Deaths, January 2011 vs January 2012

Causes of Law Enforcement Deaths in January 2012

The data provided in this report is preliminary and subject to change based on final determinations of line of duty deaths.

Law Enforcement Safe Driving Symposium

Chris Cosgriff, ODMP's founder and executive director, will be participating in the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center's Law Enforcement Safe Driving Symposium on February 9th and February 10th, 2012. Over the past 15 years, traffic related fatalities have been the leading single cause of law enforcement deaths. The purpose of this symposium is for leaders throughout law enforcement to address this major issue and turn this upward trend around.

Recommendations and findings that come out of this symposium will be made available to ODMP's visitors with the goal of reducing these preventable deaths.

Here is some more information about the symposium from our friends at FLETC's Driver and Marine Division:

On February 9th and 10th, the Driver/Marine Division (DMD) will host a lessons learned committee and will conduct presentations for Federal Law Enforcement Training Center staff, students and law enforcement professionals. On day one, the presentations will focus on law enforcement officer fatal motor vehicle crashes. During the past 13-years, motor vehicle crashes have been the leading cause of law enforcement officer deaths. In 2011, law enforcement officer deaths totaled 63 by gunfire and 58 by motor vehicle crashes. The first day presentations will focus on distracted driving and poor decision making as major contributing factors of law enforcement motor vehicle crashes. The presenters will discuss changes in driver training that have been made at FLETC and around the country to address the law enforcement officer fatalities.

The following day, the Driver and Marine Division will host a round table discussion and lessons learned symposium consisting of law enforcement executives and other professionals. The topic of conversation will be law enforcement distracted driving, the role of the administrator, training and awareness and how to address the growing problem of law enforcement motor vehicle crashes that result in injuries and/or fatalities. FLETC’s current training curriculum will be discussed, including the role of simulators in driver training. The main objective of this meeting will be the methods to better educate officers, agents and police administration on the serious issue of law enforcement distracted driving, reducing collisions and saving the lives of law enforcement personnel nationally.

In attendance will be several nationally recognized experts in the field of law enforcement driving, all of which are vocal advocates for the need to continually modify law enforcement driver training, in a constant effort to reduce the number of law enforcement related motor vehicle crashes. Among those attending will be:

Detective Kevin Navarro of the Dallas Police Department is also presently affiliated with A.L.E.R.T. International Standards and Training and serves as the Treasurer of that organization. Detective Navarro has been a highly successful law enforcement trainer for 13 years at the Dallas Police Academy where he develops curriculum and provides advanced instruction in topical areas including interviewing and interrogation, use of force, and general principles of criminal investigation. Detective Navarro is also a subject matter expert in the area of law enforcement driving.

Other executives and representatives from various public safety agencies will also attend.

Park Rangers: The Unsung Heroes of American Law Enforcement

Park Ranger
Margaret Anderson

With Sunday's heinous murder of Park Ranger Margaret Anderson at Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, the dangers park rangers and park police officers face has been thrust into the national spotlight. Any police officer will tell you that parks have just as much crime as cities, but citizens are often oblivious to this fact.

The past 12 months have been an extremely sad time for law enforcement officers nationwide. It has been especially so for the extraordinary men and women whose mission is to keep safe all of America's national parks and the citizens who visit them.

Since its founding in 1916, the National Park Service has lost a total of 40 law enforcement officers in the line of duty in its two distinct agencies: The National Park Service (NPS) and the United States Park Police (USPP). Almost half those total deaths (17 of the 40) have occurred since 1990, and, tragically, 10% of the total deaths have happened in the past 12 months alone with four park LEOs being killed in the line of duty:

Sergeant Michael Boehm

• On January 29, 2011, Park Ranger Chris Nickel (NPS) died while on a backcountry patrol in Hovenweep National Monument, Utah
• On February 24, 2011, Park Ranger Julie Weir (NPS) was killed in an automobile accident in Nebraska while on official travel from Independence National Historic Park, Pennsylvania, to Yosemite National Park, California
• On December 16, 2011, Sergeant Michael Boehm (USPP) suffered a fatal heart attack while responding to assist a man who had jumped from a bridge in Washington, DC.
• On January 1, 2012, Park Ranger Margaret Anderson (NPS) was shot and killed while attempting to stop a vehicle in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington.

The remote locations and ruggedness of many national parks put park rangers at a unique disadvantage when they encounter danger. Assuming they even have communications with dispatchers, their backup may be hours or even days away if they get injured or wounded.

Park Ranger
Randy Morgenson

In July 1996 Park Ranger Randy Morgenson, a 27-year veteran of the NPS, went out on a backcountry patrol in Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park, California. When he failed to return from the patrol a search was initiated, but he could not be located. It wasn't until July 2001 -- five years later -- that his body was finally located. Ranger Morgenson had suffered severe injuries after falling through a snow drift, and subsequently died without being able to notify others of his injury or location.

Not all dangers faced by park LEOs occur in rural areas, however. The United States Park Police are tasked with protecting national parks and monuments located in and around the urban areas of Washington, DC, Philadelphia, New York City, and San Francisco. In a unique jurisdictional setup, the USPP don't only protect the parkland in Washington, DC, but share concurrent jurisdiction throughout the entire city. In fact, the very first park LEO killed in the line of duty was a member of the USPP. On November 12, 1923, Officer William Allen was electrocuted when he picked up a radio wire that was being installed on a home in Washington, DC, illegally.

The next time you visit a national park and encounter a park ranger or park police officer, be sure to thank them for keeping you safe. As seen in recent times, these park-based crime fighters have suffered more than their fare share of danger.

Author's note: This article addresses the dangers faced by law enforcement officers of the National Park Service and the United States Park Police. A follow up article will be written in the future highlighting the service and sacrifice suffered by local, state, and other federal parks / recreation law enforcement agencies.