More law enforcement officers have died from complications related to COVID-19 than from gunfire in the past two years, according to data compiled by The Associated Press.
Thirty-three officers died in the past two years, and 28 of them passed from COVID-19. Three others were felled by gunfire, while another was killed in a car crash, according to the wire service.
The forces effected by the coronavirus included those in Miami, West Palm Beach, corrections officers and Customs and Border Patrol agents in the area. The majority of those that passed were in their 40s and 50s, according to the news outlet, and among white and Hispanic males.
Fifty-three total law enforcement officers in the state died due to the virus.
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But COVID-19 has been an issue for police departments and law enforcement agencies all over the U.S. According to Officer Down Memorial Page, a website dedicated to remembering officers that have died each year, the disease has been responsible for the majority of officer deaths in 2021.
According to the site, 469 officers died in the line of duty thus far this year. Of that number, 316 officers have died of COVID-19. The second most common cause of death was gunfire, with 58 officers killed. The third leading cause of death was by automobile crash (20).
At the outset of the pandemic, the coronavirus had a severe impact on law enforcement, impacting staff operations. According to the AP, before vaccines, it was not uncommon for some departments in South Florida to be missing 10 percent of their sworn staff to sickness or quarantines.
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More South Florida officers died by COVID-19 than gunfire in the last two years https://t.co/ANOcGRRclE pic.twitter.com/qqJNSUhMGg
— The Hill (@thehill) December 18, 2021
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