Law Enforcement Murdered in the Line of Duty: A County-Level Analysis of Contributing Factors

Abstract

The current study examines the macro-level covariates influencing law enforcement officers (LEOs) shot and killed in the line of duty. Social disorganization theory, as well as literature on police training, police presence, and gun availability, creates the theoretical framework underpinning the current investigation. LEO firearm deaths between 2011 and 2019 were obtained from the Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP), aggregated to the county level, then merged with county- and state-level data from secondary sources. Negative binomial regression was utilized to examine the effect of social disorganization, police training, police presence, and gun availability on LEO firearm deaths. Of the social disorganization measures, resource disadvantage is found to have the strongest impact on LEO firearm deaths. While population instability and density also significantly increase these deaths, ethnic heterogeneity has a significant negative effect. Furthermore, police presence has a protective effect against these murders, while gun availability increases these deaths. Limitations of the study, along with policy implications and suggestions for future research, are discussed.