More South Florida officers died by COVID-19 than gunfire in the last two years

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, 28 from COVID-19. Three others were killed by gunfire, one was killed in a car crash and another died in a work-related injury, according to the wire service. 

The forces affected by the coronavirus included those in Miami and West Palm Beach as well as corrections officers and Customs and Border Protection agents in the area. Most of those who died were in their 40s and 50s, according to the news outlet, and a majority were white or Hispanic males. 

Fifty-three law enforcement officers in the state died due to the virus. 

“More cops will die of COVID than will be shot, stabbed or die in traffic accidents. And it’s an equal opportunity killer,” said Chuck Wexler executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, according to the AP. 

But COVID-19 has been an issue for police departments and law enforcement agencies all over the U.S. According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, a website dedicated to remembering officers who die 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 those officers, 316 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. 

At one point in 2020, the New York Police Department had more than 1,400 officers who tested positive for the virus. 

The news outlet reported that data for the story was combined using press releases from different departments as well as data from the Officer Down Memorial Page.