According to the Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP), preliminarily, 97 U. S. law enforcement officers were killed and/or died in the line of duty in 2025. While any one officer losing their life is a tragedy, this significant decrease from previous years bears discussion, inspection, and examination on many levels.
The last time the total fell below 100 officers is in a minor dispute, but sources cite either 1943 or 1909. Whatever the year, the number posted for 2025 is either a remarkable and purposeful achievement or an unintentional yet fortuitous anomaly.
Here’s a snapshot of the annual average stats of the last 10 years, January 2, 2016 – December 31, 2025 (the numbers exclude COVID-related deaths), for comparison:
So we reach out to you as practitioners, leaders, trainers, etc., with several questions – seeking your thoughts, opinions, and impressions.
Why do YOU think the 2025 overall deaths are significantly lower? Let us know below!
