The ODMP Blog: September 2011

At the beginning of this month we were blessed with nine straight days without a line of duty death reported. So a Martin County (FL) Deputy Sheriff asked us, “What is the longest stretch of days without an officer fatality in the United States?”

When generating these kinds of statistics, the further back we go in time, the less complete the data is†. For instance, when we first ran these numbers two weeks ago we showed a stretch of 32 days without a fatality in 1901. However ODMP’s research team since discovered and added Deputy Sheriff Robert Coffey (Christian County Sheriff's Office, KY), so the data has already changed.

Therefore, to make these statistics most meaningful, the following statistics include recorded line of duty deaths from 1910 through today.

The longest stretches of time without recorded line of duty deaths are:

Days	From	Until
28	October 10, 1943	November 7, 1943
27	January 17, 1960	February 13, 1960
23	April 7, 1967	April 30, 1967
21	October 10, 1952	October 31, 1952
21	April 1, 2008	April 22, 2008
21	July 26, 2009 (2)	August 16, 2009
20	February 19, 1941	March 11, 1941
20	September 23, 1954	October 13, 1954
20	December 22, 1958	January 11, 1959
20	April 7, 2001	April 27, 2001

These long stretches are particularly remarkable when you consider that since 1910, the average span between LODDs is 2.06 days (just over 49 hours).

Line of duty deaths occurred most frequently in the 1920's, followed by the 1970's. The graph below shows the average number of days between LODDs in the decades since 1910.

† I am proud of ODMP's research team, led by NYPD Lt. Steve Weiss, that has uncovered the previously-forgotten stories of 952 heroes who died in the line of duty.

Ten years ago to this very minute, America was assaulted by a form of evil that many were previously unaware of. Over 400 heroes were killed in the terrorist attack, including 72 law enforcement officers. 42 more LEOs have passed away as a result of exposure while working at Ground Zero. It was, by far, the most deadly day for law enforcement and all first responders in the history of the United States.

Click here to view all 114 law enforcement officers killed as a result of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

While thousands of victims fled the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, having come face-to-face with evil, these heroes ran towards the danger. On the surface it may seem extraordinary, but it isn't. What is extraordinary is that because of first responders across the nation, Americans are able to live peaceful lives often unaware of the many evils that surround us. Law enforcement officers face these dangers every day. Not because it's what they do, but because it's who they are. And that is extraordinary.

It's important that we never forget what happened on September 11, 2001. And while we reflect on the 114 officers who gave their lives to the events of that day, let's also remember the 1,582 officers who have died in the line of duty in ten years since then. And, finally, let's thank the law enforcement officers and all first responders that continue to live extraordinary lives on a daily basis.