TEXAS, USA — A new report says Texas had the highest number of law enforcement deaths in the U.S. in 2024.
According to the report from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), a total of 147 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty last year – up 25% from 118 deaths in 2023. Of the 2024 deaths, 18 were in Texas.
The state with the second-highest number of deaths was New York, with 17. Federal agencies had the third-highest number with 10 deaths, followed by Illinois with nine and Florida with eight. Fifteen states did not lose an officer last year.
The NLEOMF found that of the 147 officer deaths nationwide, 139 were men and eight were women. The youngest officer who died was 21 and the oldest was 74. Of the officers who died, the shortest time on the job was two months. The longest was 51 years.
The report states that shootings were the leading cause of death for officers, killing 52, a 13% increase from 2023. Traffic-related deaths also increased in 2024, with 46 deaths compared to 31 in 2023. Those deaths included fatal crashes and incidents when an officer was struck outside their patrol vehicle.
The report also accounted for “other” deaths, including stabbings, drownings and more. You can take a look at the full report here.