The Cost of Keeping America Safe
Every year, law enforcement officers put their lives on the line. The numbers tell the story of that sacrifice.
700,000
Sworn Officers
~60
Killed Per Year
80,000
Assaulted Per Year
1 in 9
Assaulted Annually
Officers Feloniously Killed
60
In 2023 — that's more than one per week
Officers Assaulted
80,000
In 2023 — 219 per day
Accidental Deaths
36
In 2023 — vehicle incidents, training accidents
1 in 9
officers will be assaulted this year. That's 219 assaults on officers every single day.
Based on 700,000 sworn officers and 80,000 assaults (2023)
Officer Deaths & Assaults Over Time
How Officers Are Killed
Average annual felonious killings by circumstance (2019–2023)
Officer Death Rate vs. Other Professions
On-the-job fatality rate per 100,000 workers
About LEOKA Data
The Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) program is administered by the FBI as part of its Uniform Crime Reporting program. It collects data on officers who were feloniously or accidentally killed, or assaulted while performing their official duties.
"Feloniously killed" means an officer was intentionally killed by another person. Accidental deaths include those caused by vehicle crashes, training accidents, and other non-criminal incidents. Assault data covers any physical attack on an officer in the line of duty.
The death rate for law enforcement (approximately 14.6 per 100,000 officers) places it among the more dangerous professions in America, though it falls below logging, fishing, and roofing. The assault rate, however, is extraordinarily high — no other profession faces the same frequency of intentional physical attack.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many police officers are killed each year?
On average, about 60 law enforcement officers are feloniously killed each year in the United States, with an additional 40–55 dying in accidental line-of-duty deaths. The total varies significantly year to year — 2021 saw a spike to 73 felonious killings.
What are the most dangerous situations for officers?
Ambush attacks are the leading circumstance of felonious officer killings, accounting for roughly 30% of deaths. Traffic stops, domestic disturbance calls, and investigative activities are also particularly dangerous.
How does policing compare to other dangerous jobs?
While policing is dangerous, its fatality rate (~14.6 per 100K) is lower than logging (82.2), aircraft pilots (58.9), and roofers (47.4). However, policing is unique in that the danger comes primarily from intentional violence rather than accidents.
Related Analysis
The Police Staffing Crisis
Departments across America are struggling to recruit and retain officers.
Defund the Police — What Happened?
Data on police funding changes and their relationship to crime rates.
Police Funding by City
How much do cities spend on policing, and does more spending mean less crime?
Arrest Data
National arrest statistics by crime type from FBI data.