In the second installment of his Only on AP series “Dying to Serve,” investigative reporter Ryan J. Foley uncovered a deep and persistent backlog in the federal Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program—a program designed to provide life-changing financial support to families of officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
Foley analyzed decades’ worth of records and found that hundreds of families have been forced to wait years—sometimes more than a decade—to learn whether they qualify for benefits. As the number of claims has soared, so too have denials, and processing times have stretched to untenable lengths.
Foley centered the investigation around Lisa Afolayan, whose husband died following a U.S. Border Patrol agent training program. For 16 years, Afolayan has been navigating a bureaucratic maze of appeals and unanswered questions as she awaits a final decision on her claim.
The reporting pairs meticulous document analysis with powerful personal storytelling, illustrating how broken promises from a critical federal program are compounding the grief of surviving families.
Foley’s exclusive investigation was unmatched in its depth and impact, offering a rare look at how systemic dysfunction is leaving hundreds of grieving families without answers.
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