Stats related to U.S. Law Enforcement Deaths Throughout History: A 7 Question Trivia Challenge

Photo by Matt Popovich on Unsplash

This afternoon I got to wondering how police officers have been killed in the line of duty the past couple years compared to previous decades. I Googled it and was surprised to find a chart that lists the number of law enforcement people killed per year since the founding of our Republic. There are some very interesting insights one can gain by looking at these numbers. 

I love turning things into a game. Here's a seven question Trivia contest. Let's see how you do. 

1. On average, how many officers were killed per year from 1786 to 1806?

2. On average, how many police officers were killed per year in the 1850s, the years leading up to the Civil War?

3. In the 19th century, what year had the most officers killed and how many?

4. What was the first year that more than 200 officers were killed on duty?

5. What was the first year that more than 300 officers were killed?

6. On average, how many officers were killed on the job per year in the 1960s?

7.  What was the first year that more than 400 officers were killed?

* * * * *

The purpose of this photo below is to place the answers

a little further away from the quiz.

Photo by LOGAN WEAVER | @LGNWVR on Unsplash

ANSWERS

1.  One
2.  9.3
3.  1898 -- 82
4.  1919.   221 died. The Volstead Act was passed in October 1919, enacted January 1920.
5.  1930. Prohibition did not end till 1933.
6.  160 per year. As troubled as it was -- Civil Rights movement, anti-war movement, SDS, Weather Underground -- the number of officer deaths was significantly less than the 1920s, which saw an average of 270 officers killed per year.
7.  2021

To see the full list of fatalities every year, click here.

To share any insights you might have based on this on this data,
leave a comment. What surprised you most? Least?