Choose your statistics carefully...
The author continues by republishing a 2010 post on the topic which at that
time correctly stated:
I
posted the following response:
“127 federal, state and local officers have died on
the job so far, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund reported —
23 percent fewer than the 165 who were killed last year.
Firearms-related deaths fell to 49 this year, the
memorial fund reported — down a third from 72 last year and even below the
10-year average of 57 from 2001 to 2010.
Traffic-related incidents remained the biggest
hazard, however, as they have been nearly every year since the late 1990s. But
they, too, fell significantly, from 60 last year to 50 this year.
The NHTSA and the memorial fund launched their own Officer
Safety Initiative in August 2011, funding research and public information
campaigns around police safety in traffic-related incidents.
A breakdown for 2012 wasn't reported, but the
campaign noted that 42 percent of officers killed in auto crashes over the last
30 years weren't wearing safety belts. It said nearly all those deaths were
preventable.”
“Fourteen officers died from job-related illnesses,
which includes heart attacks. Five officers were fatally stabbed and three
officers fell to their deaths. Two officers were killed in a helicopter crash,
two were beaten to death, one died in an airplane crash, and one died in a
boating incident.”
“51 Law Enforcement Fatalities Nationwide in the
First Half of 2013:Firearms-related fatalities decrease to a 57-year low and traffic-related
fatalities hit a 34-year low”
I
have yet to hear from the author.
The
problem of violent crime and its impact on law enforcement officer safety in
America is as complex as it is important. When the indicators show the
problem is getting worse we must understand the problem so that we can
act. When the situation improves we must also dig into the facts to find
out what is working. Before calling a community to action we must
understand today's problem. To do that we need to use today's statistics.
UPDATE
22 July 2013: He posted a reply.
Thanks to each of you...W..., Michael, J..., for
your insightful comments and professional replies.
In
turn I asked him if he would be modifying his 9 July 2013 blog post to
acknowledge the marked improvement in the statistics.
UPDATE
23 July 2013: His reply and my comments in response.
“My July 9, 2013 blog highlights serious issues in
Trenton, NJ with 120 people shot in 6 months”
“…and refers to a previous December 30, 2010 blog
expressing a concern of diminishing law enforcement resources. Essentially,
this is the heart of my concern as memorialized in the post, ‘America must not
allow its communities and honorable law enforcement profession to be victimized
by this current trend of layoffs. There is a way to be financially sound
without undermining what is critical to the very heart of our communities and
the nation itself: public safety.’"
If
there is a way for Trenton to become financially sound without undermining
public safety I expect many will be all ears, but the days of spending money we
do not have – regardless how noble the cause – is coming rapidly to an end in
America. Otherwise, the more recent statistics suggest that the law enforcement
community has found ways to preserve and protect its own even with reduced
funding – or that officer safety and law enforcement funding are not directly
correlated.
“Although past statistics are noted, my post is not
meant to be purely statistical; that is for statisticians whose insights are
appreciated, but to evoke insightful responses on the complexity of the issue
and possible solutions."
Statisticians
collect data and transform it into information for use by policy makers and
thought leaders like you. Using outdated statistics does not “evoke insightful
responses.” To the contrary, it provokes an emotional reaction rather than a
thoughtful one. Frightened people may be easier to lead, but we should not
scare those we serve – accidentally or deliberately – if we are seeking
well-reasoned solutions. When we sound a call for moral leadership we should be
careful to do so only while applying the highest ethical standards ourselves.
UPDATE
23 July 2013: He countered, in part, as follows:
Although we differ in
opinion and style, it is important that professionals always apply
ethical standards that are respectful toward others without being
judgmental, uncharitable or aggressive in tone.
In my opinion, dignity, courtesy and the ability to disagree,
collaborate and educate without being disagreeable are the hallmarks of a
true professional and educator.
FINAL UPDATE 23 July 2013: The author and I resolved the friction caused by our differences in opinion and style in an off-line communication. All is well.
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