Hidden danger : A 22-years analysis of law enforcement deaths associated with duty-related illnesses (1997–2018)
Policing: An International Journal
ISSN: 1363-951X
Article publication date: 27 March 2020
Issue publication date: 9 April 2020
Abstract
Purpose
Law enforcement is a dangerous profession not only due to assaults, accidents and homicides but also due to health risks. This study examined trends in the national frequency and rate of law enforcement job-related illness deaths in the United States over a 22-year period (1997–2018).
Design/methodology/approach
Data were obtained from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) on death frequencies related to health issues at work. Death rates were based on the total number of police officers in the United States [rate = (frequency/population at risk) × 100,000]. Trends were examined using standardized regression.
Findings
A total of 646 deaths were attributed to job-related illness. There was a significant upward trend in overall job-related illness deaths (frequency analyses: β = 0.88, p < 0.0001; rate analyses: β = 0.82, p ≤ 0.0001) mainly driven by a significant increase in 911 cancer deaths (frequency analyses: β = 0.88, p < 0.0001; rate analyses: β = 0.88, p ≤ 0.0001). Nearly 82 percent of circulatory deaths were from a heart attack, with an average death age of 46.5 years.
Research limitations/implications
Deaths were not included if they failed to meet medical requirements of the NLEOMF. The data are descriptive, do not estimate risk and should be interpreted cautiously.
Practical implications
Police wellness programs may help to reduce the danger of deaths associated with job-related illness.
Originality/value
This is among the first studies to examine frequency and rate of police health–related deaths due to job exposures.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for disease Control and Prevention. The authors would like to thank the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund for supplying the data for this study.
Citation
Violanti, J.M., Fekedulegn, D., Shi, M. and Andrew, M.E. (2020), "Hidden danger : A 22-years analysis of law enforcement deaths associated with duty-related illnesses (1997–2018)", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 43 No. 2, pp. 330-344. https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-07-2019-0109
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © Published 2020. This article is a US government work and is in the public domain in the USA.