According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund’s (NLEOMF) 2016 Mid-Year Law Enforcement Officer Fatalities Report, 2016 marks the first time in three years that traffic-related incidents in the United States were not the leading cause of death among law enforcement officers in the line of duty during the first half of the year.
As of July 20, 2016, 67 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty across the country, which is an 8 percent increase from the same period in 2015.
Firearms-related officer fatalities – many of them ambush-style killings – displaced traffic-related deaths as the leading cause of officer fatalities in the line of duty, showing an astounding 78 percent increase over last year.
(On July 13, 2013, Manassas City (VA) Police Officer Heather Munsterman’s life and her future changed forever. Munsterman had pulled over a vehicle when another driver swerved off the road, striking both her and the other vehicle. The driver was charged with texting while driving, reckless driving, and failure to yield right of way to an emergency vehicle. Courtesy of Vimeo)
And even though traffic deaths were reduced by 17 percent year over year, traffic deaths have led firearms-related deaths in 15 of the past 20 years.
It’s extremely important that departments remain vigilant toward reducing risks law enforcement personnel face on our nation’s roads. During this presentation, the NLEOMF staff will be presenting updated traffic-related fatality metrics.
Officers making routine traffic stops or investigating a primary crash, especially proximal to busy roadways, are constantly at risk of injury or death.
That’s why Laser Technology Inc. (LTI) and the NLEOMF, a nonprofit organization dedicated to telling the story of American law enforcement and making it safer for those who serve, are again joining to present potentially life-saving tips designed to keep peace officers safe while investigating traffic incidents.
(Learn More about the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, courtesy of NLEOMF and YouTube)
LTI and the NLEOMF will present “Effective Tactics for Officer Safety” at 1:00 p.m. (PDT) Monday, Oct. 17, at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Annual Conference in the IACP Solutions Presentations Theatre.
During this learning session, traffic safety professionals will discuss the best methods, technology and equipment for maintaining safety for on-duty police officers.
The presentation includes recommendations on how to enhance officer visibility on roadways, how to minimize risks while making traffic stops and how to reduce fatal accidents that involve officers.
LTI and the NLEOMF previously partnered for informational webinars and presentations to demonstrate how advances in technology and hyper-focused safety trainings can significantly increase awareness for officers on the job and decrease their exposure to high-risk situations.
(Learn More, courtesy of Laser Technology Inc and YouTube)
“More than 600 law enforcement officers have died in traffic-related incidents over the past decade, and it’s more critical than ever to educate officers on the best ways to protect themselves in the line of duty,” said NLEOMF President and CEO Craig W. Floyd.
“We still have a long way to go to reduce the number of traffic-related deaths each year to zero, but the good work of technology companies like LTI, which designs solutions specifically with officer safety in mind, will help us get there.”
“The NLEOMF is the premier organization dedicated to honoring and protecting those who put themselves at risk every day to protect and serve our country,” said LTI Traffic Safety Product Manager Vinny Alvino, “and we couldn’t be happier to again work with its members to further promote officer safety on our roadways.”
Information for the IACP event, including how to register, can be found here.
For those not able to attend the 2016 IACP conference, LTI and the NLEOMF will host a follow-up webinar that recaps the “Effective Tactics for Officer Safety” presentation.
You can reserve a spot for the webinar, which will be held at 9:30 a.m. (MDT) Tuesday, Nov. 1, by registering here.
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 built and now maintains the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., which contains the names of 20,789 officers who have died in the line of duty throughout U.S. history.
The Memorial Fund is building the National Law Enforcement Museum, which will tell the story of American law enforcement through high-tech, interactive exhibitions, historical artifacts and extensive educational programming.
Laser Technology Inc. is a Colorado-based manufacturer and industry leader in the design and manufacture of innovative laser-based speed and distance measurement instruments for speed enforcement, tailgating enforcement, crash scene investigation and much more.
LTI introduced the first commercial laser speed device that enabled law enforcement agencies to pinpoint an individual vehicle in dense traffic. Used by law enforcement agencies and professionals for more than 30 years, LTI’s equipment is trusted around the world.
