Suicides to be Considered for Inclusion on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

Board of Directors approves motion to amend
the criteria used to evaluate line-of-duty deaths

March 22, 2024 (WASHINGTON, DC)—The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) Board of Directors announces a change in the criteria for inclusion on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

The motion to supplement the criteria to include death by suicide as a potential line-of-duty death was made and approved in a special meeting of the Board on Friday, March 15, 2024.  The vote followed a year-long process of research, investigation, and thoughtful consideration of how such a policy change should be implemented.

“The mission of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund for 40 years has been to respect, honor, and remember the fallen. We are humbled to carry on that mission.  A mission which will now recognize that the traumatic events our law enforcement professionals are exposed to can cause significant mental health injuries.  As time, research, and too many subsequent deaths have shown, those injuries can be just as deadly as a handgun or speeding vehicle,” said Bill Alexander, CEO of the organization.

Cases which fall into this category will now begin to be considered for possible inclusion on the Memorial in the spring of 2025. Mirroring Federal Law and the policy of the Public Safety Officer Benefits Program (PSOB), the NLEOMF will only consider such deaths which occurred on or after January 1, 2019.  NLEOMF’s Law Enforcement Officers Fatalities Report will reflect the addition of this new category beginning with the 2024 report, which will release in January 2025.

www.NLEOMF.org 

About the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

Established in 1984, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring the fallen, telling the story of American law enforcement, and making it safer for those who serve. The first pillar of this mission, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., honors the names of all of the 24,067 officers who have died in the line of duty to date throughout U.S. history. Additionally, NLEOMF maintains and publishes comprehensive details on the circumstances surrounding official line-of-duty deaths. The Officer Safety and Wellness pillar uses that data, coupled with best-practice program models, to produce programming directed at solutions to improve survivability and enhance wellness. NLEOMF’s third pillar, the National Law Enforcement Museum (LawEnforcementMuseum.org) is committed to preserving the history of American law enforcement and sharing the experiences of service and sacrifice for generations to come.