A nearly 300 % increase in security officer deaths reported in 2020
Charlotte NC January 5 th, 2021
A nearly 300 % increase in security officer deaths compared to last year was seen in 2020, Private Officer International reported today.
While the frontline protectors fell victim to the Coronavirus 252 times, another 76 security officers died at the workplace from illnesses, accidents and assaults including 43 on-duty homicides.
While the tragic deaths of law enforcement officers can sometimes grab the headlines of the national media, private security officers, who often suffer the same types of violent deaths, go almost unnoticed said Founder and CEO, Rick McCann.
“Each year, we see just an incredible number of assaults and violent attacks on security personnel that often result in severe injuries and loss of life”, McCann told reporters during a press conference.
During the week of Christmas, 17 security officers were shot while doing their job. Another security officer was carjacked of his company vehicle and dragged several hundred feet while he hung on for his life. It seldom makes the news.
According to the statistical records kept by the association since 2004, an average of 135 security officers die annually and another 22,000 are either assaulted or injured on duty.
McCann also stated that with the decrease of police officers in some areas and the increase use of security officers that provide interactive patrolling, injuries and deaths are sure to increase even more.
These are real numbers but more than that, they are real lives McCann said in closing.
