Thursday, January 13, 2022
PMT: "On-Duty" Officer Deaths
A surprisingly high number of law enforcement officers died on duty in 2021: 502, according to some sources (though the numbers vary).
That number seems pretty high compared to historical norms, but it is deceiving: 341 of those deaths were from COVID, which must have been included because the officers may have contracted COVID at work.
62 died from gunfire, either from civilians or fellow officers. Meanwhile, over 800 people were killed by police in the same time period.
There's no doubt that police work is dangerous, and an important service. It isn't one of the most dangerous jobs, though. According to a study of US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, with a fatality rate of 14 per 100,000 workers, law enforcement officers have the 22nd most dangerous job in the US. Here are the top 8:
1) Loggers, with 111 deaths per 100,000 workers
2) Pilots and flight engineers, with 53 deaths per 100,000 workers
3) Derrick operators, with 46 deaths per 100,000 workers
4) Roofers, with 41 deaths per 100,000 workers
5) Garbage collectors, with 34 deaths per 100,000 workers
6) Ironworkers, with 29 deaths per 100,000 workers
7) Delivery drivers, with 27 deaths per 100,000 workers
8) Farmers, with 26 deaths per 100,000 workers
