Q&A of the Day – Are we just more aware of officer involved shootings? Part 2
Bottom Line: There are 90 deaths attributed to officer involved shootings thus far in 2021. That projects to fewer than 270 for the year if the current trend holds. In other words, deaths via officer involved shootings are 35% lower than usual so far this year. That’s especially notable because last year 360 law enforcement line-of-duty deaths occurred. Potentially the highest total in American history and at a minimum since 1932. Now consider this...
Year-to-date line-of-duty deaths are 27% higher than last year’s historically high level. We’re seeing a surge in line-of-duty police deaths while there’s a decrease in deaths attributed to officer involved shootings. If anything in this environment, it’s possible we’re seeing officers who are reluctant to use potentially deadly force becoming the victims of inaction. It’s early, but a 35% decline in deaths attributed to officers coinciding with a 27% increase in line-of-duty deaths - reaching record levels – seems to suggest there’s more than a coincidence occurring.
The problem with serious issues becoming politicized is that narratives take hold. When narratives don’t meet the facts it’s unfortunate. When its law enforcement that’s the focus of a generally false narrative, it's dangerous. It makes life more dangerous for them and for all of us. This has been evidenced over the past year. There are two sides to stories and one side to facts. These are the facts. The bottom line is that the narrative regarding policing doesn’t fit the facts. In fact, it’s the exact opposite.
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