Table 1

Distribution of Assaults and Murders of Police Officers
in the United States: 1960-1995

Year Total
Assaults		 Rate per
100 Officers		 Assaults
with Injury		 Rate per
100 Officers		 No. of Police
Officers Murdered
1960 9,621 6.3 NR NR 28
1961 13,190 8.3 NR NR 37
1962 17,330 10.2 NR NR 48
1963 16,793 11.0 NR NR 55
1964 18,001 9.9 7,738 4.3 57
1965 20,523 10.8 6,836 3.6 53
1966 23,851 12.2 9,113 4.6 57
1967 26,755 13.5 10,770 5.4 76
1968 33,604 15.8 14,072 6.6 64
1969 35,202 16.9 11,949 5.7 86
1970 43,171 18.7 15,165 6.6 100
1971 49,768 18.7 17,631 6.6 126
1972 37,523 15.1 12,230 5.8 112
1973 32,535 15.0 12,880 5.9 127
1974 29,511 15.1 11,468 5.9 132
1975 44,867 15.4 18,974 6.5 129
1976 49,079 16.8 18,737 6.4 111
1977 49,156 15.3 17,663 5.5 93
1978 56,130 16.1 21,075 6.2 93
1979 59,031 17.3 21,764 6.4 106
1980 57,847 16.7 21,516 6.2 104
1981 57,116 17.2 20,272 6.1 91
1982 55,755 17.5 17,116 5.4 92
1983 62,324 16.5 20,807 5.5 80
1984 60,153 16.2 20,205 5.4 72
1985 61,724 15.8 20,817 5.3 78
1986 64,259 16.9 21,639 5.7 66
1987 63,842 16.8 21,273 5.6 73
1988 58,752 15.9 21,015 5.7 78
1989 62,172 16.4 21,893 5.8 66
1990 71,794 17.4 26,031 6.3 65
1991 62,852 15.5 23,650 5.8 71
1992 81,252 17.6 29,673 6.4 63
1993 66,975 14.7 24,031 5.3 70
1994 64,912 13.5 23,194 4.8 78
1995 57,686 13.5 16,181 3.8 74

NR: Not reported in Uniform Crime Reports until 1964.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation. Uniform Crime Reports
(Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice)

[Return to your place in the document]

Table 2

Law Enforcement Officers Assaulted by Region

Region 1981 - 1985 1986 - 1990 1991 - 1995
  Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Northeast 75,886 25.5 79,751 24.9 70,364 21.2
Midwest 47,751 16.1 51,914 16.2 49,061 14.7
South 107,810 36.3 114,840 35.8 146,206 43.9
West 65,645 22.1 74,314 23.2 67,046 20.2
Total 297,092 100.0 320,819 100.1 332,677 100.0

aMidwest designation replaced the North Central regional area in 1984, although the states included in the category remained the same.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reports, Crime in the United States, 1981,Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, 1981: 304; Federal Bureau of Investigation, Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted 1982, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, various editions.

[Return to your place in the document]

Table 3

Law Enforcement Officers Feloniously Killed by Region
Region 1981 - 1985 1986 - 1990 1991 - 1995
  Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Northeast 46 11.8 41 12.5 44 13.6
Midwest 76 19.5 62 18.8 63 19.5
South 195 50.0 160 48.6 144 44.6
West 73 18.7 66 20.1 72 22.3
Total 390 100.0 329 100.0 323 100.0

aMidwest designation replaced the North Central regional area in 1984, although the states included in the category remained the same.

Source: Law Enforcement Officers Killed, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, various editions; Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice

[Return to your place in the document]