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Case Western Reserve professor raises awareness, offers solutions
Of the 264 police officers who died in the line of duty in 2020 across the United States, more than half died of COVID-19, according to new data compiled by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (PDF) (NLEOMF).
A professor at Case Western Reserve University is bringing some awareness to the disturbing trend.
Mark Singer
“COVID-19 is absolutely devastating police departments around the country,” said Singer, also deputy director of the Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education at the Mandel School. “I’m certain there are local departments that have been ravaged by this disease, as well as our hospitals’ staff, firemen and EMS. We need to do everything we can to promote healthy, safe first responders.”
COVID-19 was leading killer of police officers in 2020, the deadliest year for nation’s law enforcement since 1974, study says
Updated Feb 04, 2021;
CLEVELAND, Ohio The COVID-19 pandemic made 2020 the deadliest year for the nation’s law enforcement since 1974, according to a national law enforcement group.
The Washington D.C.-based National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial and Museum found that COVID-19 was the single most significant cause of line-of-duty deaths in 2020, and accounted for more dead police officers than any other cause, including gun violence and traffic crashes, combined.
The organization counted 264 total line-of-duty deaths last year among state, county, local, military and tribal law enforcement officers, nearly double the 135 officers killed in 2019. The rise is entirely attributable to COVID-19, which the group found was responsible for the deaths of at least 145 active officers in 2020.