NCJ Number
62261
Journal
LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNICATIONS Volume: 6 Issue: 5 Dated: (OCTOBER 1979) Pages: 14-16
Date Published
1979
Length
4 pages
Annotation
THE RISING RATE OF POLICE DEATHS IN THE LINE OF DUTY AND THE INCREASING RATE OF VIOLENT CRIME ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
FROM A HIGH IN 1973 OF 134 POLICE OFFICERS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY, THE NUMBER DECREASED TO 93 OFFICERS IN 1977. HOWEVER, IN 1979 56 POLICE OFFICERS WERE MURDERED BETWEEN JANUARY AND JUNE, ACCORDING TO FBI STATISTICS. OF THE 56 OFFICERS, 29 WERE KILLED IN SOUTHERN STATES, 12 IN THE NORTH CENTRAL STATES, 11 IN WESTERN STATES, AND FOUR IN THE NORTHEASTERN STATES. THE MAJORITY OF OFFICERS KILLED WERE SHOT WITH HANDGUNS. LATE NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING HOURS WERE THE MOST FREQUENT TIMES OF DEATH. ACCORDING TO THE 1977 STATISTICAL REPORT, INCREASING NUMBERS OF OFFICERS KILLED KNEW THEIR ASSAILANTS. THE INCREASE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS MURDERED COINCIDES WITH A NATIONAL INCREASE IN THE MURDER RATE AND VIOLENT CRIME RATE. THROUGH THE SUMMER OF 1979, VIOLENT CRIME ROSE 17 PERCENT OVER 1978, AND MURDER ROSE NATIONALLY BY 9 PERCENT. ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF MURDERS IS INCREASING, PROPORTIONALLY THE TYPES OF MURDERS REMAINS ABOUT THE SAME, WITH OVER HALF OF THE HOMICIDE VICTIMS HAVING A PRIOR ACQUAINTANCE WITH THEIR KILLERS. UNDERMANNED POLICE FORCES ARE CITED BY MANY POLICE AGENCIES AS BEING A PRIMARY REASON FOR THE INCREASE IN VIOLENT CRIME, BUT ARE ONLY ONE OF A COMPLEX NETWORK OF CAUSAL FACTORS. AMONG CRIMINOLOGISTS, THERE IS APPARENT AGREEMENT THAT THE UPSURGE OF VIOLENCE IN THE SOUTH IS RELATED TO EXTREMELY RAPID GROWTH, WHICH ATTRACTS CRIMINAL ELEMENTS; ALSO, HANDGUNS ARE EASY TO OBTAIN. LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS IN THE NORTHWESTERN CITIES OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON AND PORTLAND, OREGON ATTRIBUTE THEIR RELATIVELY LOW HOMICIDE RATES TO MILD CLIMATE, LOW POVERTY RATE, LOW UNEMPLOYMENT, AND GOOD POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS. (RCB)