Introduction: How much, what types?

1992-97: Nearly three times the risk for the average worker

1992-97: Eight times the homicide risk for the average worker

1992-97: Homicide risk same as risk of transportation incident or fall

1997: Not in the top 10 of high-risk occupations

2003-06: Over sixteen times the homicide risk for the average worker

2003-06: Homicide risk less than the risk of transportation incident

2006: Still not in the top 10 of high-risk occupations

Trend: Homicides decreasing, accidental deaths increasing

Trend: Risk of homicide in police work consistently a distant second to the risk of homicide while driving a taxicab
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Definitions of Terms Used

Note: Who Are "Police"?

  • In 2003 the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) switched to a federal standard occupational classification system. Because census surveys before 2003 combine police and detectives into a single occupation category, while surveys from 2003 onward combine police and sheriff's patrol officers, some statistics in reports before 2003 are not comparable to the corresponding statistics in reports from 2003 and later.

    Other law enforcement workers not included in the category of police and sheriff's patrol officers:

    • Bailiffs
    • Correctional Officers and Jailers
    • Detectives and Criminal Investigators
    • Fish and Game Wardens
    • Parking Enforcement Workers
    • Transit and Railroad Police
  • Criteria for inclusion in the FBI Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report are here

Fatality rates are used by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to compare the risk of incurring a fatal injury among worker groups. Fatality rates are expressed as the number of fatal work injuries per 100,000 workers. The fatality rate of a particular group can be compared to the national workplace fatality rate for all workers using the ratio of the occupational to natonal fatality rates, called the index of relative risk.

Other assault/violence includes self-inflicted injury and attack by animals.

Transportation incidents includes highway, nonhighway, air, water, rail fatalities, and fatalities resulting from being struck by a vehicle.