Preventing Officer Fatalities by Better Understanding Specific Incidents

• NCJ Number: 250942
• Date Published: July 2017
• Length: 2 pages
• Agencies: NIJ
• Publication Type: Report (Technical Assistance); Program/Project Description; Instructional Material

Annotation

This is the summary of a pilot program sponsored by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) that identifies risk factors for fatal officer motor vehicle-related events and the development of recommendations for preventing future officer fatalities and injuries.

Abstract

The launching of this program was spurred by data that show more law enforcement officers died in line-of-duty traffic accidents rather than felonious assaults with firearms during the period between 2006 and 2015. The pilot program described is the result of cooperation between NIJ and the CDC's (Center for Disease Control's) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The pilot program features an investigative team that analyzes both new incidents and incidents from the past year that involved officer fatalities in the context of line-of-duty motor-vehicle operations. The investigative team analyzes the event to determine the factors involved and whether changes are needed in policies and procedures to lessen the risk for a recurrence. Lessons learned and remedial policies will be reported not only to the agency involved but also to the broader law enforcement community. In the pilot program, the investigative reports circulated do not name the deceased officer, the law enforcement agency involved, or the names of those interviewed. 3 notes