20 Fascinating Police Officers Facts

By James Israelsen, Associate Writer

Published September 7, 2018Updated April 26, 2025

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Police officers in Thailand can be forced to wear Hello Kitty armbands as punishment for infractions such as illegal parking or showing up to work late._[5]
Twelve percent of the law enforcement officers in the United States are women._[1]

Women have helped to serve and protect in the United States for over 120 years

There are currently 900,000 law enforcement officers serving in the Unites States. This is the largest number of officers ever employed at one time._[1]
Over 21,000 law enforcement officers have died in the line of duty since America’s founding._[1]
In 2017, 129 law enforcement officers were killed in the United States._[1]
The year 1930 was the deadliest year in American history for law enforcement officers; 310 officers were killed in the line of duty._[1]
The most officers to die in a single day in America died during the September 11 attacks of 2001. Seventy-two officers died responding to the emergency._[1]

A woman's touch makes things run more smoothly

Some police forces purposely assign at least one woman to their SWAT teams, so that their male counterparts will have a “den mother” to counteract some of the more violent tendencies of men._[2]
The state with the fewest law enforcement officer deaths is Vermont, at a total of only 23. Texas has the most officer deaths, having lost 1,731 officers since becoming a state._[1]
The city having the most officers lost in the line of duty is New York City, with a total of 833 deaths._[1]
Nine female officers were killed in the line of duty in America in 2017._[1]

Every time I teach a policing class, I ask who in the classroom has ever reached into their pocket while on duty and given someone money for food, gas, or shelter. All of the hands go up.

- Rex Caldwell, Retired Police Chief of Mukilteo, Washington

Over the past decade, Friday has been the most common day for felonies to be committed that resulted in officer deaths. Tuesday is the day with the fewest fatal incidents._[1]
Police report receiving far more violent threats over the last several years than ever before._[2]
According to the Supreme Court of the United States, only another officer with similar training is in a position to judge whether an officer has used excessive force._[2]
Police in Tucson, Arizona, formed a special unit to deal with mentally ill criminals. The unit has served over 1,500 commitment orders to mentally disturbed offenders, only twice needing to use force._[2]
The first recorded American police officer to die in the line of duty was killed in 1791._[1]
Nearly 90% of London’s police officers don’t carry firearms._[4]
In a 12-month period beginning in March of 2015, police in Wales and England only fired a total of seven bullets, resulting in only five fatalities._[4]
Police in the United States fatally shot a total of 1,092 people in 2016._[4]
Until recently, police officers in Hawaii were allowed to have sex with prostitutes during the course of undercover sting operations._[3]