After jumping 20 percent in the first six months of 2009, the number of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty fell sharply during the third quarter of this year and is on pace to reach a five-decade low this year, according to preliminary data from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

Nationwide, 26 officers died in the line of duty during the months of July, August and September, 2009. By comparison, 43 officers were killed during the third quarter of 2008.

As of October 2, officer fatalities are down 7 percent from the same time last year: 92 in 2009, compared with 99 in 2008. In all of 2008, 133 officers died in the line of duty, the lowest annual total since 1960, when there were 127 officer deaths. If current trends continue, this year's total would break that five-decade low.

The NLEOMF's latest preliminary statistics were released as police leaders from across the country gather in Denver for the annual conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

"In the 25 years since the Memorial Fund was established back in 1984, law enforcement executives, trainers and line officers, as well as industry partners and government policymakers, have worked diligently to improve the safety of our nation's law enforcement officers," said NLEOMF Chairman and CEO Craig W. Floyd. "While one officer death is one too many, these cooperative efforts have helped to move the fatality numbers in the right direction, and we are encouraged that this trend has continued this year," he added.

The NLEOMF's latest preliminary data indicate the following:

* Traffic-related incidents, which remain the leading cause of law enforcement deaths in the United States, have declined more than 12 percent this year.
* The number of officers killed by gunfire is up slightly this year, to 36 from 34 at the same time of 2008. This year's increase has been driven, in part, by three multiple-officer shooting fatalities this spring in Oakland, Pittsburgh and Okaloosa County, FL.
* No female officers have been killed so far this year. By contrast, nearly 10 percent of the officers killed in 2008 were women.

The statistics released by the NLEOMF are preliminary and do not represent a final or complete list of individual officers who will be added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial for 2009. For more information on law enforcement officer fatality trends, visit website, and click on "Facts & Figures."

About the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

Now celebrating its 25th year, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is a private non-profit organization dedicated to honoring the service and sacrifice of America's law enforcement officers and to promoting officer safety. The NLEOMF maintains the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC, which contains the names of 18,661 officers who have died in the line of duty throughout U.S. history. The Memorial Fund is now working to create the first-ever National Law Enforcement Museum, which will tell the story of law enforcement through high-tech, interactive exhibitions, historical artifacts and extensive educational programming.

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Craig W. Floyd