(Washington, D.C., Monday, January 11, 2021) – The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund has released the “2020 Officer Fatality Report.”

Following the release of the report, as part of the Destination Zero initiative, a series of critical programs will be held to provide lifesaving information of the highest relevance to our law enforcement officers, based on trends found in the leading line-of-duty death categories of firearms, traffic, and health-related circumstances.

The COVID-19 task force will augment the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum’s efforts to provide law enforcement officers with resources and data related to this global health pandemic. Task force members include law enforcement professionals, health experts, and National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum staff researchers with proven leadership and commitment.

In addition, as the leading authority on law enforcement line-of-duty deaths, the task force will provide guidance on researching and vetting law enforcement deaths related to COVID-19. Preliminary data compiled by the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum for 2020 indicates that COVID-19 will likely be the number one cause of law enforcement line-of-duty deaths.

Traffic-related fatalities and firearms-related fatalities and were the leading causes of law enforcement deaths.

Officers continue to die as a result of illnesses contracted from responding to the terror attacks of 9/11.

Established in 1984, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is a private non-profit organization dedicated to telling the story of American law enforcement and making it safer for those who serve. The Memorial Fund maintains the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC, which contains the names of 21,910 officers who have died in the line of duty throughout U.S. history. The Memorial Fund opened the National Law Enforcement Museum, which tells the story of American law enforcement by providing visitors a “walk in the shoes” experience. The Museum is working to expand and enrich the relationship shared by law enforcement and the community through the Museum’s educational journeys, immersive exhibitions, and insightful programs. For more information, visit www.LawMemorial.org.