Local Police Department, 2003Local police departments with a written policy on racial profiling by officers, 2003 Under 10,000 10,000 - 49,999 50,000 - 249,999 250,000 or more 0% 20%

Bureau of Justice Statistics

U.S. Department of JusticeOffice of Justice Programs

Local Police Departments, 2003

In 2003 about 90% of local police departments in large jurisdictionshad a written terrorist attack plan

Under 10,000

10,000 - 49,999

50,000 - 249,999

250,000 or more

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Percent of agencieswith written terrorism plan

Population served

Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics

BJS

Note

This report is one in a series. More recent editions may be available. To view a list of all in the series go to http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pubalp2.htm#lpd

U.S. Department of JusticeOffice of Justice Programs810 Seventh Street, N.W.Washington, D.C. 20531

Alberto R. GonzalesAttorney General

Office of Justice ProgramsPartnerships for Safer Communities

Regina B. SchofieldAssistant Attorney General

World Wide Web site:http//www.ojp.usdoj.gov

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Jeffrey L. Sedgwick Director

World Wide Web site:http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs

For information contactNational Criminal Justice Reference Service

1-800-851-3420

U.S. Department of JusticeOffice of Justice ProgramsBureau of Justice Statistics

Local PoliceDepartments, 2003

Matthew J. Hickman, Ph.D.and Brian A. Reaves, Ph.D.BJS Statisticians

May 2006, NCJ 210118

U.S. Department of JusticeBureau of Justice Statistics

Jeffrey L. SedgwickDirector

Matthew J. Hickman and Brian A.Reaves prepared this report. CarolynC. Williams provided editorial review.

The Office of Community OrientedPolicing Services (COPS) providedpartial funding for the 2003 LEMASsurvey. Debra Cohen and MatthewScheider of the COPS office assistedwith questionnaire development. Moreinformation on the COPS office can be obtained at their website<www.cops.usdoj.gov>.

Data were collected and processed bythe Police Executive Research Forum(PERF) under the supervision of LorieFridell. PERF project staff includedBruce Kubu and Nathan Ballard.Additional information on PERF isavailable on the Internet at:<http://www.policeforum.org>.

Data presented in this report may beobtained from the National Archive ofCriminal Justice Data at the Universityof Michigan, 1-800-999-0960. Thereport and data are available on theInternet at: <www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/lpd03.htm>.

Highlights iii

The LEMAS survey 1

Personnel 1

Budget and pay 10

Operations 13

Community policing 19

Policies and procedures 23

Equipment 25

Computers and information systems 30

Methodology 35

ii Local Police Departments, 2003

Personnel

• As of June 2003 local police depart-ments had about 581,000 full-timeemployees, including about 452,000sworn personnel. There were about11,000 more sworn and 4,000 morenonsworn employees than in 2000.

• Racial and ethnic minorities com-prised 23.6% of full-time sworn person-nel in 2003, up from 22.6% in 2000,and 14.6% in 1987. Women comprised11.3% of officers in 2003, up from10.6% in 2000, and 7.6% in 1987.

• From 2000 to 2003 the number ofblack or African American local policeofficers increased by 1,500, or 3%;Hispanic or Latino officers by 4,700, or13%; officers from other minoritygroups by 850, or 7%, and femaleofficers by 4,400, or 9%.

• Sixty-one percent of departments hadofficer separations during the 12-monthperiod ending June 30, 2003. Overall,about 32,100 officers separated,including 16,100 resignations, 9,400retirements, and 2,600 dismissals.

• Sixty percent of departments hirednew officers during the 12-monthperiod ending June 30, 2003. Overall,about 34,500 officers were hired,including 28,800 entry-level hires, and5,300 lateral transfers/hires.

• During the 12-month period endingJune 30, 2003, 21% of local policedepartments had full-time swornpersonnel called-up as full-time militaryreservists. Overall, about 7,500 officerswere called up.

Budget and pay

• Departments had total operatingbudgets of $43.3 billion during fiscal2003, 10% more than in 2000 afteradjusting for inflation. Operating expen-ditures in 2003 averaged $93,300 persworn officer, and $200 per resident.

• In 2003 starting salaries for local policeofficers ranged from an average of about$23,400 in the smallest jurisdictions toabout $37,700 in the largest.

Operations

• Fifty-nine percent of departments, including more than 75% of thoseserving 250,000 or more residents,used foot patrol routinely. An estimated38%, including more than 95% of thoseserving 500,000 or more residents,used bicycle patrol on a regular basis.

• In 2003, 92% of local police depart-ments, employing 98% of all officers,participated in a 9-1-1 emergencysystem compared to 32% and 60% in1987. In 2003, 73% of departments,employing 90% of all officers, hadenhanced 9-1-1, compared to 7% and26% in 1987.

• Eighteen percent of departments hadofficers assigned full time to a specialunit for drug enforcement, with about12,000 officers assigned nationwide.Nearly a quarter of departments hadofficers assigned to a multi-agencydrug task force, with about 6,000officers assigned full time nationwide.

• Twenty-seven percent of local policedepartments were responsible forproviding court security, 18% forserving civil process, and 9% foroperating a jail.

• Thirty-six percent of departments haddrug asset forfeiture receipts during2002, including more than 80% ofthose serving 25,000 or moreresidents. Nationwide, receipts totaledabout $298 million, or $642 per officer.

Community policing

• Fourteen percent of local policedepartments, employing 44% of allofficers, maintained or created a writtencommunity policing plan during the12-month period ending June 30, 2003.

• Nearly half (47%) of departments,employing 73% of all officers, had amission statement that included someaspect of community policing.

• Fifty-eight percent of all departments,employing 82% of all officers, used full-time community policing officers during2003. Collectively, there were about54,800 local police officers sodesignated.

• Thirty-one percent of departments,employing 67% of all officers, trainedall new officer recruits in communitypolicing. This included more than 3 in 4departments serving a population of100,000 or more.

• Sixty percent of departments, includ-ing more than 80% of those serving25,000 or more residents, had problem-solving partnerships or written agree-ments with community groups, localagencies, or others during the12-month period ending June 30, 2003.

• Forty-three percent of departments,employing 74% of all officers, used full-time school resource officers in 2003.Collectively, these agencies employedabout 14,300 such officers.

Highlights

Local Police Departments, 2003 iii

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Female and minority local police officers, 1987 and 2003

sworn personnelPercent of full-time

* Includes Asians, Pacific Islanders, American Indians, and Alaska Natives.

1987

2003

Female All minorities Black or Afri- Hispanic Other*can American or Latino

Policies and procedures

• Nearly all departments had a writtenpolicy on pursuit driving. Three-fifthsrestricted vehicle pursuits according tospecific criteria such as speed oroffense. About a fourth had a policythat left the decision to the officer’sdiscretion, and 6% discouraged allvehicle pursuits.

• Ninety-five percent of departments,employing 99% of all officers, had awritten policy on the use of deadlyforce. Ninety percent, employing 97%of all officers, had a policy on the useof nonlethal force.

• Sixty-two percent of departments hadwritten policies about racial profiling byofficers. This included about 9 in 10agencies serving populations of250,000 or more residents.

• Thirty-nine percent of departmentshad a written plan specifying actions to be taken in the event of a terroristattack. This included a majority ofdepartments serving 10,000 or moreresidents.

• Eighty-four percent of departments,employing 95% of officers, had writtenpolicies or procedures for handlingjuveniles; 59%, employing 81% ofofficers, for responding to the mentallyill; and 27%, employing 42% ofofficers, for interacting with homelesspersons.

Equipment

• In 2003 the .40-caliber semiautomaticwas the most commonly authorizedsidearm, with 62% of departmentsauthorizing its use by officers.

• An estimated 99% of departmentsauthorized use of chemical agents suchas pepper spray during 2003, up from51% in 1990.

• In 2003, 74% of local police officerswere employed by a department thatrequired at least some field officers towear protective body armor while onduty, compared to 30% in 1990.

• Nationwide, local police departmentsin 2003 operated an estimated 242,700cars, or about 1 car for every 2 officersemployed. About a third of these carswere unmarked.

• Nearly 1 in 3 departments used dogsfor law enforcement work, includingmore than 90% of those serving100,000 or more residents. About 2%used horses, including most of thoseserving 250,000 or more residents.

• Fifty-five percent of departmentsregularly used video cameras in patrolcars during 2003, compared to 37% in2000. There were about 49,000 in-carcameras in use during 2003. Elevenpercent of departments operated trafficenforcement cameras during 2003.

Computers and information systems

• From 1990 to 2003 the percentage oflocal police departments using infieldcomputers increased from 5% to 56%.Departments using infield computersemployed 83% of all officers in 2003,up from 30% in 1990.

• From 2000 to 2003 the percent oflocal police officers employed by adepartment with infield computeraccess to vehicle records increasedfrom 67% to 78%. The percentemployed by a department with infieldcomputer access to criminal historyrecords rose from 29% to 39%.

• In 2003, 55% of departments usedpaper reports as the primary means totransmit criminal incident field data to a central information system, downfrom 86% in 1997. During the sametime period, use of computer and datadevices increased from 9% to 38%.

iv Local Police Departments, 2003

Under 10,000

10,000 - 49,999

50,000 - 249,999

250,000 or more

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Percent of agencies

Population served

Local police departments with a written policyon racial profiling by officers, 2003

Under 10,000

10,000 - 49,999

50,000 - 249,999

250,000 or more

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%Percent of agencies

Local police departments using infield computers or terminals, 1990 and 2003

2003

Population served

1990

The LEMAS survey

During 2003 the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), as part of its Law Enforcement Management and Admin-istrative Statistics (LEMAS) program,surveyed a nationally representativesample of State and local law enforce-ment agencies operating nationwide.Previous LEMAS surveys wereconducted in 1987, 1990, 1993, 1997,1999 (limited scope), and 2000.

This report presents data from the2003 survey describing the nearly13,000 local police departmentsoperating in the United States in termsof their personnel, expenditures andpay, operations, community policinginitiatives, written policies and proce-dures, computers and informationsystems, and equipment. Comparisonsare made with prior years whereappropriate.

The LEMAS survey sample is selectedfrom a periodic census of all State andlocal law enforcement agencies operat-ing in the United States. According tothe most recent census, conducted in2000, nearly all local police depart-ments are operated by municipal (85%)or township (13%) governments. A totalof 171 local police departments wereoperated by tribal governments, and 52by county governments.

The 2003 LEMAS survey questionnairewas mailed to 3,154 State and locallaw enforcement agencies, including955 agencies with 100 or more swornofficers (see Methodology for adescription of the sample). The overallresponse rate was 91%.

This report and its companion report,Sheriffs’ Offices 2003, summarize datacollected from agencies of all sizes.Agency level data for agencies with100 or more officers are published inLaw Enforcement Management andAdministrative Statistics, 2003.

Personnel

As of June 30, 2003 local policedepartments had an estimated 580,749full-time employees (table 1). Approxi-mately 452,000, or 78%, of full-timelocal police employees were swornpersonnel (those with general arrestpowers). Local police departments alsoemployed about 51,000 persons on apart-time basis. About half of the part-time employees were sworn officers.

Local police departments employed67% of full-time sworn officers workingfor State and local general purpose lawenforcement agencies nationwide.Their 129,013 full-time civilian employeescomprised 42% of nonsworn State andlocal law enforcement employees.

From 1987 (the first year of the LEMASsurvey) to 2003, local police employ-ment increased by about 135,000, or27% C an average of 1.7% annually(figure 1). The number of full-timesworn officers increased by about96,400, or 30%, during this period.

There were about 14,800 more full-time local police employees in 2003than in 2000, an increase of 2.6%, orjust under 1% annually. When onlysworn personnel are considered,employment by local police depart-ments increased by about 10,800, or2.5%, from 2000 to 2003.

From 1987 to 2003 the number of full-time civilian local police employeesincreased from 90,622 to 129,013, or42%. This included an increase ofabout 4,000, or 3.2%, from 2000 to2003.

Local Police Departments, 2003 1

Note: Data are for the pay period that included June 30, 2003. Sworn employees are those with general arrest powers.

7534079324,80857,61182,41949Primary State14,3869,49823,884156,022174,251330,2743,061Sheriff25,66725,61451,281129,013451,737580,74912,656Local police

40,80635,15275,958309,843683,599993,44215,766Total

CivilianSwornTotalCivilianSwornTotalPart-timeFull-timeNumber of

agenciesType of agency

Number of employees

Table 1. Employment by general purpose State and local law enforcementagencies in the United States, 2003

Figure 1

1987 1990 1993 1997 2000 20030

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

Number of full-time employees

Total

Full-time employment by local police departments, 1987-2003

2003

Swornofficers

Nationwide, 594, or 4.7%, of localpolice departments employed at least100 sworn personnel (table 2). Thisincluded 50 departments with 1,000 ormore officers. The New York CityPolice department was the largest, withabout 36,000 officers (see Exhibit 1).An estimated 5,757, or 45.5%, ofdepartments employed fewer than 10officers, including 561 with just 1officer.

Thirty-four percent of all full-time localpolice officers were employed by adepartment with 1,000 or more swornpersonnel, and 61% were employed bya department with at least 100 swornpersonnel. Departments that employedfewer than 10 officers accounted forabout 5% of officers nationwide.

2 Local Police Departments, 2003

*Includes both full-time and part-time employees. --Less than 0.05%.

--410.15404.456110.45610.94,23715.21,9242-41.92,4513.515,71725.93,2725-98.510,98210.246,21830.03,79810-24

10.813,95811.853,28713.11,66125-4912.916,64312.556,3676.784550-9913.917,87712.857,7673.2400100-2499.011,5818.036,3300.8105250-4997.19,1836.127,3700.339500-999

35.5%45,73734.1%153,9030.4%501,000 or more

100%129,013100%451,737100%12,656 Total

PercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumber

Full-time civilianpersonnel

Full-time sworn personnel Agencies

Numberof swornpersonnel*

Table 2. Local police departments and full-time personnel, by number of sworn personnel, 2003

Note: Sworn employees are those with general arrest powers. Officers not assigned to respond to calls for service typically were assigned to otherareas of duty related to administration, investigations, technical support, jail operations, or court operations. aIn some cases populations were adjusted to more accurately reflect the population for which an agency provided law enforcement services.bIncludes all full-time sworn personnel with general arrest powers who were uniformed officers with regularly assigned duties that included responding to calls for service.cPercentage based on 2000 LEMAS data.

5219960Tucson (AZ)61211,624Jacksonville-Duval Co. (FL)6530962Tampa (FL)68231,788Baltimore Co. (MD)44191,005Portland (OR) 57251,797Columbus (OH)67191,007Oklahoma City (OK)43401,846Cleveland (OH)

%48321,030Pittsburgh (PA)%59211,916Honolulu (HI)

53281,038Miami (FL)52301,939Memphis (TN) 48331,047Cincinnati (OH)68341,989Milwaukee (WI) 69121,089Montgomery Co. (MD)67172,056San Antonio (TX)56201,137El Paso (TX)48172,103San Diego (CA)

%49151,170Indianapolis (IN)%66362,109Boston (MA)

78171,195Louisville (KY) 49302,216San Francisco (CA)46181,198Austin (TX)c54192,497Nassau Co. (NY)53221,238Seattle (WA)49172,640Las Vegas-Clark Co (NV)44211,249Fort Worth (TX) 36202,763Phoenix (AZ)

%61291,299Kansas City (MO)%46192,808Suffolk Co. (NY)

53241,312Nashville (TN)63242,943Dallas (TX)69131,317Fairfax Co. (VA)73143,178Miami-Dade Co. (FL)40161,328Prince George’s Co. (MD)61523,258Baltimore (MD)55481,332Newark (NJ)44653,632Washington (DC)

%55161,408San Jose (CA)%26423,837Detroit (MI)

42261,429Denver (CO)70275,350Houston (TX)

c76351,462Atlanta (GA) c59466,853Philadelphia (PA) 45221,499Charlotte-Mecklenberg Co. (NC)51249,307Los Angeles (CA)62451,507St. Louis (MO)724713,469Chicago (IL)

%75351,622New Orleans (LA)%574535,973New York (NY)

Percentresponding to callsb

Numberper 10,000residentsa

TotalnumberJurisdiction

Percent responding to callsb

Number per 10,000residentsa

Totalnumber Jurisdiction

Full-time sworn personnelFull-time sworn personnel

Exhibit 1. The 50 largest local police departments by total number of full-time sworn personnel, number of full-time sworn personnel per 10,000 residents, and percent of full-time sworn personnel regularly assigned to respond to calls for service, 2003

Although 74% of all local police depart-ments served fewer than 10,000residents, these agencies employedjust 14% of all officers (table 3). Abouthalf of all officers served a jurisdictionwith 100,000 or more residents. Whiledepartments serving the largest citieshad thousands of officers on average,those serving fewer than 2,500residents had an average of just 4 full-time employees, including 3 swornofficers (table 4).

Overall, about half of part-time localpolice employees were sworn officers.The average number of part-timesworn employees was no higher thanthree in any population category.

Among municipal police departments,the average ratio of full-time officersper 1,000 residents was 2.5. Thoseserving 25,000 to 99,999 residents hadthe lowest average ratio (1.8).

Average ratio Population of full-time officers served per 1,000 residents

All sizes 2.5 250,000 or more 2.5100,000 - 249,999 1.950,000 - 99,999 1.825,000 - 49,999 1.810,000 - 24,999 2.02,500 - 9,999 2.21,000 - 2,499 2.6

Overall, 68% of full-time local policeofficers had regularly assigned dutiesthat included responding to calls forservice (table 5). The proportion ofofficers responding to calls rangedfrom about 6 in 10 among departmentsserving 100,000 or more residents, toabout 9 in 10 in those serving fewerthan 10,000 residents.

As of June 30, 2003, local policedepartments collectively employed96% of the maximum number of full-time sworn personnel authorized bytheir budgets (table 6). The lowestactual-to-authorized ratio for swornpersonnel was among departmentsserving fewer than 2,500 residents(92%).


Note: Detail may not add to total because of rounding.

1.92,4384.017,93641.55,248Under 2,5008.410,86210.346,66632.04,0482,500-9,999

11.815,27413.058,63314.91,88710,000-24,99910.613,71010.848,7326.177625,000-49,99911.715,11511.150,0773.342250,000-99,99913.016,73811.150,2981.4177100,000-249,9998.510,9647.132,1090.342250,000-499,999

11.014,21311.049,8490.339500,000-999,99923.0%29,69921.6%97,4370.1%171,000,000 or more

100%129,013100%451,737100%12,656 All sizes

PercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumber

Full-time civilianpersonnel

Full-time sworn personnelAgenciesPopulation

served

Table 3. Local police departments and full-time personnel, by size of population served, 2003

Note: Detail may not add to total because of rounding.--Less than 0.5.

--23134Under 2,500123312142,500-9,9993148313910,000-24,99951618638025,000-49,99991103611915450,000-99,999

1411595284379100,000-249,999191202597571,016250,000-499,999433463691,2931,661500,000-999,999870871,7955,8887,6831,000,000 or more

224103646 All sizes

CivilianSworn TotalCivilianSworn Total

Part-timeFull-timePopulation served

Average number of employees

Table 4. Average number of employees in local police departments,by size of population served, 2003

*Includes all uniformed officers whoseregularly assigned duties included respondingto citizens calls/requests for service.

9617,159Under 2,5008840,9532,500-9,9997946,34410,000-24,9997134,71625,000-49,9996834,12550,000-99,9996231,170100,000-249,9996219,914250,000-499,9995426,940500,000-999,99959%57,5301,000,000 or more

68%308,849All sizes

PercentNumber

Full-time sworn personnel assigned to respond to citizen calls for service* Population

served

Table 5. Officers assigned to respondto citizen calls for service in local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

Note: Sworn employees are those withgeneral arrest powers.

9219,585Under 2,5009648,5452,500-9,9999760,62610,000-24,9999750,11525,000-49,9999751,78950,000-99,9999652,276100,000-249,9999633,617250,000-499,9999552,221500,000-999,99995%102,6011,000,000 or more

96%471,376All sizes

PercentemployedAuthorized

Populationserved

Full-time sworn employees

Table 6. Authorized full-time strengthof local police departments andpercent of authorized strengthemployed, by size of populationserved, 2003

Officer separations and new hires

Sixty-one percent of local police depart-ments experienced officer separationsduring the 12-month period endingJune 30, 2003 (table 7). Nearly alldepartments serving a population of50,000 or more had officer separationsduring the 12-month period, comparedto less than half of those serving apopulation under 2,500.

The average number of separationsacross all agencies was 4 officers,ranging from 2 officers among depart-ments serving fewer than 10,000residents to 284 officers among depart-ments serving 1 million or moreresidents.

During the same time period, 60% ofdepartments hired new officers. Theaverage number of new hires across allagencies was 5 officers, ranging from 2among departments serving fewer than10,000 residents to 359 among depart-ments serving 1 million or moreresidents.

Overall, an estimated 32,122 full-timesworn officers separated from localpolice departments during the12-month period ending June 30, 2003(table 8). About half (16,131 officers) ofthese separations were due to resigna-tions, 29% (9,397 officers) were due tononmedical retirements, 8% (2,606officers) were dismissals, 6% (1,807officers) were medical/disability retire-ments, and 4% (1,305 officers) wereprobationary rejections.

About three-quarters of the separationsin departments serving the smallestjurisdictions were due to resignations,compared to about a sixth in the largestjurisdictions. In contrast, three-quartersof all separations in the largest jurisdic-tions were due to nonmedical retire-ments, compared to just 4% in thesmallest.


*Excludes agencies without separations or new hires.

245244Under 2,5002632652,500-9,99937737610,000-24,99958648925,000-49,99999089650,000-99,999

229419100100,000-249,999549041100250,000-499,99967976797500,000-999,999

35994%284100%1,000,000 or more

560%461% All sizes

Averagenumber ofnew hires*

Percent ofagencies hiringnew officers

Averagenumber ofseparations*

Percent ofagencies havingseparations

Populationserved

Separations and new hires during the 12-month period ending June 30, 2003

Table 7. Officer separations and new officer hires in local police departments, by population served, 2003

Note: Detail does not add to total because table excludes “Other separations” category.

281283156514172763,2041004,222Under 2,50041975260105697381723,9691005,5362,500-9,99931306230729223899582,2891003,92610,000-24,99961777221822526788491,4701002,98225,000-49,99961939270722230934451,4131003,11350,000-99,9997251929110331311,036411,3921003,365100,000-249,99959213224610333583386711001,754250,000-499,9992546156496461,164389581002,517500,000-999,9993%1292%732%11673%3,44016%765100%4,7061,000,000 or more

4%1,3056%1,8078%2,60629%9,39750%16,131100%32,122 All sizes

PercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumber

Probationaryrejections

Medical/disabilityretirementsDismissals

Non-medicalretirementsResignationsTotalPopulation

served

Officer separations during the 12-month period ending June 30, 2003

Table 8. Types of officer separations in local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

Overall, local police departments hiredan estimated 34,474 new full-timesworn officers during the 12-monthperiod ending June 30, 2003 (table 9).The total included 28,791 entry-levelhires (84%), 5,323 lateral transfers(15%), and 360 other new hires (1%).

Almost all new hires among depart-ments serving 500,000 or moreresidents, and more than 8 in 10 newhires among departments serving10,000 to 499,999 residents, wereentry-level hires.

Lateral transfers were more commonamong smaller departments, compris-ing about 30% of all new hires bydepartments serving less than 10,000residents, compared with 1% of newhires in the largest departments.

Ten percent of agencies experiencedseparations only during the 12-monthperiod. These agencies had anestimated 2,786 separations. Ninepercent of agencies experienced newhires only. These agencies had anestimated 2,027 new hires.

Net personnel change, 2002-2003

The 34,474 new hires by local policedepartments during the year endingJune 30, 2003 and the 32,122 separa-tions over the same period representsan overall estimated net increase in thenumber of full-time local police officersof 2,352.

Overall, agencies serving fewer than2,500 residents experienced a net lossof 163 officers, the largest decrease ofany population category (figure 2).

The 2,500 to 9,999 population category(-21), was the only other one to recorda net loss during this period.

The largest increase in number ofofficers was in the largest jurisdictionswhere 856 more officers were servingpopulations of 1 million or more in June2003 compared to a year earlier.The next largest increase was in juris-dictions with 10,000 to 24,999residents, where 526 officers wereadded.


Figure 2

Note: Detail may not add to total because of rounding. --Less than 0.5%

263281,121712,8751004,059Under 2,500295301,647683,7741005,5162,500-9,999--2216715833,7151004,45210,000-24,999--1416527842,7761003,31725,000-49,99912016547832,8281003,39450,000-99,99913412431873,1341003,599100,000-249,99923410198891,8171002,049250,000-499,999136373962,4181002,527500,000-999,999%142%165%985,455%1005,5621,000,000 or more

%1360%155,323%8428,791%10034,474 All sizes

PercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumberOther typesLateral transfers Entry-levelTotal hiresPopulation

served

New officer hires during the 12-month period ending June 30, 2003

Table 9. Types of new officer hires in local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

Net change in number of officers

Population served

Under 2,500

2,500-9,999

10,000-24,999

25,000-49,999

50,000-99,999

100,000-249,999

250,000-499,999

500,000-999,999

1,000,000 or more

-200 0 200 400 600 800 1,000

Net change in number of full-time local police officersfor 12-month period ending June 30, 2003

Military reservists called to active duty

During the 12-month period endingJune 30, 2003, 21% of local policedepartments had full-time swornpersonnel who were called up as full-time military reservists and were, there-fore, no longer available for lawenforcement duties (table 10). Thepercent of departments with call-upsranged from 94% or more in populationcategories of 100,000 or more to 6% injurisdictions with fewer than 2,500residents.

Overall, about 7,500 officers werecalled-up for reserve military service.About three-fifths (59%) of them camefrom departments serving 50,000 ormore residents. The average numberof officers called up was 3, rangingfrom 1 officer among departmentsserving fewer than 25,000 residents to74 officers among departments servinga population of 1 million or more.

Reserve or auxiliary officers

Some local police departments partlyoffset officer shortages through the useof supplemental personnel, such assworn reserve or auxiliary officers. As of June 30, 2003, 35% of depart-ments were using part-time swornreserve or auxiliary officers, with anaverage of 6 officers each (table 11).Overall, local police departmentsemployed 26,625 such officers. Sevenpercent of departments were using full-time sworn reserve or auxiliary officers,with a total of 5,376 nationwide.

Eleven percent of departments wereusing part-time nonsworn reserve orauxiliary officers (table 12), with a totalof nearly 14,000 used nationwide. Onepercent of departments were using full-time nonsworn reserve or auxiliaryofficers, with an overall total of about600.


*Excludes agencies without call-ups.Note: Detail may not add to total because of rounding.

14026Under 2,5001787162,500-9,99919403410,000-24,99929445725,000-49,99938808050,000-99,99961,02294100,000-249,999

1457498250,000-499,99922836100500,000-999,999741,14894%1,000,000 or more

37,53221% All sizes

Average number ofcall-ups*

Totalnumber ofcall-ups

Percent havingany reservistscalled-up

Population served

Full-time reserve call-ups during the 12-month period ending June 30, 2003

Table 10. Full-time sworn personnel in local police departments called-up as full-time military reservists, by size of population served, 2003

*Excludes agencies not using sworn reserve or auxiliary officers.Note: Detail may not add to total because of rounding.

47,1463751,8888Under 2,50067,6483461,95372,500-9,99973,845285467510,000-24,999

102,590336206525,000-49,999122,1014213225450,000-99,999151,1374391147100,000-249,99930472376345417250,000-499,999557393534695500,000-999,999

13194744%000%1,000,000 or more

626,62535%65,3767% All sizes

Averagenumber*

Totalnumber

Percent ofagenciesusing

Averagenumber*

Totalnumber


Part-time swornFull-time sworn

Population served

Table 11. Use of sworn reserve or auxiliary officers inlocal police departments, by size of population served, 2003

*Excludes agencies not using nonsworn reserve or auxiliary officers.Note: Detail may not add to total because of rounding. --Less than 0.5%

31,3729481--Under 2,50051,84110410312,500-9,99992,625159280210,000-24,999

121,300141329--25,000-49,9991681412969250,000-99,9991827395222100,000-249,99916517112250,000-499,999

12363713000500,000-999,9991,5074,67719%000%1,000,000 or more

1013,58911%65851% All sizes

Averagenumber*

Totalnumber


Averagenumber*

Totalnumber


Part-time nonswornFull-time nonsworn

Population served

Table 12. Use of nonsworn reserve or auxiliary officers in local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

Gender and race of officers

Of the 451,737 full-time sworn personnelin local police departments as of June2003, approximately 11% were women(table 13). The percentage of femaleofficers ranged from about 17% indepartments serving 1 million or moreresidents to about 6% in those servingfewer than 10,000 residents.

In 2003 the estimated 51,046 femaleofficers represented an increase ofabout 4,400, or 9%, from 2000. Duringthis time, female representation amonglocal police officers increased from10.6% to 11.3% (figure 3). By compari-son, women comprised just 7.6% oflocal police officers in 1987.

In 2003 an estimated 23.6% of full-timelocal police officers were members of aracial or ethnic minority. Minorityofficers comprised more than a third ofthe total in jurisdictions with 250,000 ormore residents.

Blacks or African Americans accountedfor 11.7% of all local police officers in2003. Black employment was highestamong departments serving a popula-tion of 500,000 to 999,999 (24.4%).

An estimated 9.1% of local policeofficers nationwide were Hispanic orLatino, with the highest representationamong departments serving a popula-tion of 1 million or more (19.3%).

The number of local police officers whowere members of a racial or ethnicminority in 2003 (106,610) representedan increase of about 7,000, or 7%, over2000 levels. From 2000 to 2003 minor-ity representation increased slightly,from 22.6% to 23.6%. In 1987 minori-ties comprised 14.6% of all local policeofficers.

The estimated 52,853 full-time black orAfrican American local police officersemployed in 2003 was an increase ofabout 1,500, or 3%, compared to 2000.During this time the percent of officerswho were black remained unchangedat 11.7%. In 1987 blacks comprised9.3% of officers.

An estimated 41,108 Hispanic or Latinoofficers were employed by local policedepartments in 2003. This was about4,700, or 13%, more than in 2000.From 2000 to 2003 the percentage oflocal police officers who were Hispanicor Latino rose from 8.3% to 9.1%. In1987, 4.5% of officers were Hispanic.

From 2000 to 2003 representation byother minority groups such as Asians,Pacific Islanders, and AmericanIndians increased by about 850, or 7%,to about 12,650 officers. These groupscomprised 2.8% of local police officersin 2003 compared to 2.7% in 2000, and0.8% in 1987.


Figure 3

1987 1990 1993 1997 2000 2003 1987 1990 1993 1997 2000 20030%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Female and minority local police officers, 1987-2003

Female Minority*

Percent of full-timesworn personnel

*Includes blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, Asians, NativeHawaiians or other Pacific Islanders, American Indians, Alaska Natives,and any other racial or ethnic minority.

Note: Detail may not add to total because of rounding.*Includes Asians, Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and any other race.

0.32.22.50.23.23.40.65.15.74.783.888.55.794.3100Under 2,5000.32.32.60.23.23.40.53.74.25.384.589.86.293.81002,500-9,9990.21.92.10.22.83.00.44.04.45.884.690.46.793.310010,000-24,9990.21.01.20.55.05.50.94.95.86.780.887.58.291.810025,000-49,9990.12.22.30.86.27.01.16.37.46.776.683.38.891.210050,000-99,9990.22.83.00.98.29.12.19.811.97.868.276.011.089.0100100,000-249,9990.32.42.71.310.011.34.115.319.48.957.766.614.685.4100250,000-499,9990.65.46.01.06.87.86.418.024.47.854.161.915.684.4100500,000-999,9990.2%2.6%2.8%3.6% 15.7%19.3%5.4%11.3%16.7%7.9% 53.2%61.1%17.3%82.7%100%1,000,000 or more

0.3%2.5%2.8%1.3% 7.8%9.1%2.7%9.0% 11.7%7.0% 69.4%76.4%11.3%88.7%100% All sizes

FemaleMale Total FemaleMale Total FemaleMale Total FemaleMale Total FemaleMale Total Other*Hispanic/LatinoBlack/African AmericanWhiteTotalPopulation

served

Percent of full-time sworn employees who were —

Table 13. Gender and race of full-time sworn personnel in local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

Screening of officer applicants

Local police departments employed avariety of screening methods whenhiring new officers. Nearly all usedpersonal interviews (98%), and amajority used medical exams (85%),drug tests (73%), and psychologicalevaluations (67%) (table 14).

Among departments serving 50,000 or more residents, more than 8 in 10used physical agility tests and writtenaptitude tests. More than half thedepartments in these populationcategories used polygraph exams.

In addition to interviews, tests, andexaminations, nearly all departmentsscreened recruits through criminalrecord checks (99%), backgroundinvestigations (98%), and driving recordchecks (96%) (table 15). A majorityconducted credit record checks (55%),including more than 8 in 10 departmentsserving 25,000 or more residents.

Nearly all local police officers wereemployed by departments that usedcriminal record checks, backgroundinvestigations, driving record checks,medical exams, and personal inter-views (figure 4). About 9 in 10 wereemployed by departments that usedpsychological evaluations and drugtests. More than two-thirds of officersworked in departments using physicalagility tests (80% of officers), aptitudetests (74%), and credit checks (70%).


Local police officers employed by departments using

Screening methods

Personality inventoryPolygraph exam

Credit history checkWritten aptitude testPhysical agility test

Drug testPsychological evaluation

Personal interviewMedical exam

Driving record checkBackground investigation

Criminal record check

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%Percent of local police officers employed

various recruit screening methods, 2003

Note: List of selection methods is not intended to be exhaustive.--Less than 0.5%

--21116203147637398Under 2,500--325264852717491992,500-9,99916424072718988989910,000-24,999212474576769688999925,000-49,99937574780839790979950,000-99,9991117750828895869795100,000-249,9992107851839398989395250,000-499,999

11116448848610095100100500,000-999,9990%0%81%56%81%94%100%100%100%94%1,000,000 or more

1%4%25%26%43%50%67%73%85%98%All sizes

Second language ability test

Voice stress analyzer

Polygraph exam

Personality inventory

Written aptitude test

Physical agility test

Psycho- logical evaluation

Drug test

Medical exam

Personal interview

Populationserved

Interviews, tests, and examinations used to select new officer recruits

Table 14. Interviews, tests, and examinations used in selection of new officer recruits in local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

Note: List of selection methods is not intended to be exhaustive.639929798Under 2,5009559998992,500-9,99987699999910,000-24,999

11839910010025,000-49,999887991009950,000-99,999

12889899100100,000-249,99978898100100250,000-499,999

1989100100100500,000-999,9990%81%100%100%100%1,000,000 or more

8%55%96%98%99%All sizes

Volunteer service check

Credit history check

Driving record check

Background investigation

Criminal record check

Populationserved

Background checks used to select new officer recruits

Table 15. Background checks used in selection of new officer recruits in local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

Figure 4

Education and training requirements

Nearly all (98%) local police depart-ments had an education requirementfor new officer recruits (table 16).Eighteen percent of departments hadsome type of college requirement, with9% requiring a 2-year degree.

In 2003 the percentage of officersemployed by a department with sometype of college requirement for newofficers (33%) was about the same asin 2000 (32%), but more than 3 timesas high as in 1990 (10%).

In the largest jurisdictions new localpolice recruits were required tocomplete an average of about 1,500hours of training compared to about800 hours in the smallest (table 17).On average, about three-quarters oftraining hours were State mandated,with the remainder an agency require-ment. For greater detail on basic lawenforcement training, see State andLocal Law Enforcement TrainingAcademies, 2002.

From 2000 to 2003 there were signifi-cant increases in training requirementsfor local police recruits in jurisdictionswith fewer than 250,000 residents. Injurisdictions with 50,000 to 249,999residents, the average combined fieldand academy training requirement rosefrom 1,178 hours to 1,355 hours; with10,000 to 49,999 residents, from 969

to 1,148; and with fewer than 10,000residents, from 605 to 855. Theaverage requirement rose slightly injurisdictions with more than 250,000residents; from 1,514 to 1,543.

The average annual inservice trainingrequirement for non-probationaryofficers was 47 hours, including 24State-mandated hours (table 18).

Overall, just 3% of departmentsoperated a training academy; however,nearly all of those serving a populationof 250,000 or more did so. Nationwide,45% of all officers were employed by adepartment that operated an academy.


Figure 5

1623Under 2,50025282,500-9,999312010,000-24,999282125,000-49,999321850,000-99,9992324100,000-249,9991420250,000-499,9991820500,000-999,9997231,000,000 or more

2324All sizes

Other State-mandated

Population served

Average number of hours required

Table 18. Annual inservice trainingrequirements for non-probationaryofficers in local police departments,by size of population served, 2003

Under 10,000

10,000 - 49,999

50,000 - 249,999

250,000 or more

0 400 800 1,200 1,600

Average number of training hours required

Population served

20032000

Training requirements for new officer recruitsin local police departments, 2000 and 2003

Note: Detail may not add to total because of rounding.*Non-degree requirements.--Less than 0.5%

0968297Under 2,500--9783992,500-9,999197829910,000-24,99911110779925,000-49,99916177610050,000-99,99923138198100,000-249,9993488499250,000-499,99959137299500,000-999,9991%7%18%72%98%1,000,000 or more

1%9%8%81%98% All sizes

4-yearcollegedegree

2-yearcollegedegree

Somecollege*

Highschooldiploma

Totalwith re-quirement

Populationserved

Percent of agencies requiring a minimum of C

Table 16. Minimum educational requirement for new officersin local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

--Under 2,50012,500-9,999210,000-24,999325,000-49,999

1350,000-99,99936100,000-249,99990250,000-499,99989500,000-999,999

100%1,000,000 or more

3%All sizes

Percent with training academy

Populationserved

Note: Average number of training hours excludes departments not requiring training.

9310619935542577Under 2,500162151314325976302,500-9,9992791644423064267210,000-24,9993172105274665770225,000-49,9993302685986465772150,000-99,999371253624173642815100,000-249,999452200652330620950250,000-499,999456104561332588920500,000-999,9993601535133276891,0161,000,000 or more

17914732640588628All sizes

Otherrequired

State-mandatedTotal

Otherrequired

State-mandatedTotal

Population served

FieldAcademyAverage number of hours required

Table 17. Training requirements for new officer recruits in local policedepartments, by size of population served, 2003

Budget and pay

Operating budgets

The total operating budget of localpolice departments during fiscal 2003was about $43.3 billion (table 19). Thiswas 10% more than in 2000 afteradjusting for inflation. (These figures donot include budgets for capital expendi-tures such as equipment purchases orconstruction projects.) Local policedepartments accounted for 59% of the$73.6 billion in total operating budgetsfor general purpose State and local lawenforcement agencies.

Nationwide, operating budgets wereabout $3.4 million per department forfiscal 2003, ranging from about $572million for departments serving apopulation of 1 million or more, to$208,000 among those serving fewerthan 2,500 residents.

The overall operating cost per residentwas $200, with departments in jurisdic-tions with a population of 1 million ormore costing the most to operate, $282per resident. Departments serving apopulation of less than 10,000 had thelowest per resident cost — about $160.

Nationwide, local police departmentscost an estimated $93,300 per swornofficer to operate for fiscal 2003. Costsranged from $99,000 or more perofficer in population categories of25,000 or more, to $45,500 per officerin jurisdictions with a population under2,500.

When both sworn and nonswornemployees are included, the averageoperating budget for local police depart-ments was about $71,500 peremployee for the year. Operating costsranged from more than $75,000 peremployee in jurisdictions with 50,000 ormore residents to $40,000 peremployee in those with fewer than2,500 residents.

After controlling for inflation, per officeroperating costs for 2003 were $12,800,or 16%, higher than in 2000 (figure 6).The largest increase, from $77,300 to$92,200, was recorded in jurisdictionswith 10,000 to 49,999 residents. Thesmallest increase, from $53,400 to$60,100, was in jurisdictions with fewerthan 10,000 residents.


7.28.0State police18.922.3Sheriff

$39.2$43.3Local police

$65.3$73.6 Total

20002003

Operating expenditures of general purpose lawenforcement agencies in2003 dollars (in billions)

Note: Figures are for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2003, or the most recent fiscal yearcompleted prior to that date. Figures do not include capital expenditures such as equipmentpurchases or construction costs. Computation of per officer and per employee averages includeboth full-time and part-time employees, with a weight of .5 assigned to part-time employees.Total and per agency figures are rounded to the nearest $1,000; per officer and per employeefigures, to the nearest $100.

16240,00045,500208,0001,092,247,000Under 2,50015753,30067,000851,0003,444,036,0002,500-9,99917466,80086,7002,754,0005,196,604,00010,000-24,99918275,00099,0006,255,0004,853,915,00025,000-49,99917877,200103,40012,312,0005,195,820,00050,000-99,99920078,300106,20030,236,0005,351,771,000100,000-249,99922877,700105,10080,430,0003,378,060,000250,000-499,99919378,600102,300130,913,0005,105,600,000500,000-999,999

$282$76,100$99,900$572,419,000$9,731,119,0001,000,000 or more

$200$71,500$93,300$3,425,000$43,349,172,000 All sizes

Per resident

Per employee

Per sworn officer

Per agencyTotal

Populationserved

Operating budget, 2003

Table 19. Operating budget of local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

Figure 6

Under 10,000

10,000-49,999

50,000-249,999

250,000 or more

All sizes

Annual per officer operating costs of

Population served

Annual operating costs perofficer in 2003 dollars

20032000

local police departments, 2000 and 2003

$40,000 $100,000$0 $60,000 $80,000$20,000 $120,000

Salaries

The overall average base startingsalary for local police chiefs was$48,800 in 2003 (table 20). Averagestarting salaries for chiefs ranged from$113,000 in jurisdictions with 1 millionor more residents to $32,700 in thosewith a population under 2,500.

Average minimum starting salaries forfirst-line supervisors (sergeant orequivalent) ranged from $60,200 in thelargest jurisdictions to $27,100 in thesmallest, with an overall departmentalaverage of $36,600. When size ofdepartment is considered, the averageminimum starting salary earned bylocal police sergeants was about$52,600.

By department the average base start-ing salary offered to entry-level patrolofficers in 2003 was $28,200. Startingsalaries ranged from $23,400 in juris-dictions with fewer than 2,500 residentsto $39,600 in those with a population of 100,000 to 249,999. When size ofdepartment is factored in, it isestimated that new entry-level localpolice officers started at an averagesalary of about $35,500 during 2003.This was 12% more than in 2000; a 5%increase after adjusting for inflation.

By population category inflation-adjusted salaries rose by 4% in juris-dictions with 250,000 or moreresidents, from $36,170 to $37,514(figure 7). In smaller jurisdictions, theincrease was also 4%: 50,000 to249,999 residents, from $36,607 to$38,011; 10,000 to 49,999 residents,from $32,706 to $33,889; fewer than10,000 residents, from $24,835 to$25,834.

Special pay

Nationwide, 35% of local police depart-ments, employing 62% of all officers,offered tuition reimbursement toofficers (table 21). This included amajority of departments serving 10,000or more residents.

An estimated 32% of departmentsoffered education incentive pay toqualifying officers, including a majorityof those serving a population of 10,000or more. About half (53%) of all localpolice officers worked for a departmentthat offered this type of pay.

Twenty-one percent of local policedepartments, employing 30% of alllocal police officers, offered merit payto qualifying sworn personnel.

Twenty-one percent of departments,employing 52% of all officers, offeredshift differential pay to full-time officers.This included a majority of the depart-ments serving a population of 100,000or more.

Thirteen percent of departmentsoffered special skills pay, includingmore than half of the departmentsserving 1 million or more residents andmore than a third of those serving apopulation of 50,000 to 999,999.


Note: Salary figures have been rounded to the nearest $100. Computation of average salary excludes departments with no full-time employee in that position.

36,50032,70030,80027,10026,80023,400Under 2,50056,20048,90043,60037,40036,20029,0002,500-9,99977,80065,90055,20047,40045,00033,00010,000-24,99994,50077,70062,40053,40048,60035,90025,000-49,999

106,90085,50065,30054,50051,20037,40050,000-99,999123,10095,00068,00056,00054,00039,600100,000-249,999129,20094,40066,90054,60053,50038,300250,000-499,999143,200109,70069,60058,00054,90036,600500,000-999,999

$157,100$113,000$73,500$60,200$57,800$37,7001,000,000 or more

$56,900$48,800$42,400$36,600$35,300$28,200 All sizes

MaximumMinimumMaximumMinimumMaximumMinimumChief

Sergeant orequivalentEntry-level officerPopulation

served

Average base annual salary, 2003

Table 20. Average base annual salary for selected positions in local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

Figure 7

Average starting salary in 2003 dollars

19902000

Under 10,000

10,000 - 49,999

50,000 - 249,999

250,000 or more

Average base starting salary for entry-level officersin local police departments, 2000 and 2003

20032000

$0 $10,000 $20,000 $30,000 $40,000

Population served

Overall, 27% of local police officersworked in a department that offeredspecial skills pay.

Ten percent of local police departmentsauthorized special pay for militaryservice. These department employed18% of local police officers.

Hazardous duty pay was available in5% of all local police departments,employing 24% of all officers. Abouttwo-thirds of the departments serving 1million or more residents, and abouthalf of those serving 250,000 to999,999 residents offered this type ofpay.

Four percent of local police depart-ments offered special pay for officerswith bilingual ability, including half ofthose serving 1 million or moreresidents. Twenty-three percent of localpolice officers worked for departmentsauthorizing this type of special pay.

Unions and collective bargaining

Nationwide, 41% of local police depart-ments, employing 71% of all officers,authorized collective bargaining forsworn personnel (table 22). Thisincluded at least 66% of the depart-ments in each population category of10,000 or more.

Overall, 22% of local police depart-ments, employing 60% of all nonsworn

local police personnel, authorizedcollective bargaining for nonsworn employees. A majority of departmentsserving populations of 25,000 or moredid so.

The average starting salary for entry-level officers was about $8,900 higherin departments that authorized collec-tive bargaining than in those that didnot authorize it. Departments withcollective bargaining for officers hadhigher average entry-level salaries in all population categories (figure 8). In jurisdictions with fewer than 10,000residents the difference was about$7,100; 10,000 to 49,999 residents,$5,900; 50,000 to 249,999 residents,$8,100; and 250,000 or more residents,$4,800.


Under 10,000

10,000 - 49,999

50,000 - 249,999

250,000 or more

$0 $10,000 $20,000 $30,000 $40,000 $50,000

Average starting salary

Population served

Collective bargaining authorizedNo collective bargaining

Starting salaries for entry-level officers in local police departmentsauthorizing and not authorizing collective bargaining, 2003

--Less than 0.5%--3436141113Under 2,500231113232135382,500-9,9996514243730576110,000-24,999

141019264430677225,000-49,999272423394439687650,000-99,9993829253357447276100,000-249,9994449274476546183250,000-499,9993254303065305472500,000-999,99950%69%19%56%81%44%75%81%1,000,000 or more

4%5%10%13%21%21%32%35% All sizes

Bilingual ability

Hazardousduty

Militaryservice

Special skills

Shift differential Merit

Education incentive

Tuition reimbur-sement

Populationserved

Percent of agencies authorizing pay for —

Table 21. Local police departments authorizing special pay for full-time sworn personnel, by size of population served 2003

Figure 8

213Under 2,50021502,500-9,999487010,000-24,999597525,000-49,999597150,000-99,9996069100,000-249,9995466250,000-499,9996784500,000-999,99963811,000,000 or more

22%41% All sizes

Civilian employees

Sworn employees

Population served

Percent of agencies authorizing collectivebargaining for —

Table 22. Collective bargainingauthorized by local police departments, by size of populationserved, 2003

Operations

Facilities

As of June 30, 2003, 15% of localpolice departments operated district,precinct, or division stations that wereseparate from headquarters (table 23).About 3,000 such stations wereoperated by local police departmentsnationwide.

An estimated 12% of departmentsoperated fixed neighborhood orcommunity substations, including amajority of those serving a populationof 50,000 or more. Two percent ofdepartments operated mobile substa-tions, including 27% of those serving250,000 to 999,999 residents. Nation-wide, local police departmentsoperated an estimated 3,546 fixedsubstations, and 335 mobilesubstations.

Patrol and response

Local police departments used avariety of patrol types to supplementroutine automobile patrol services(table 24). Fifty-nine percent of depart-ments, employing 69% of all officers,used foot patrol on a routine basis.This included more than 3 in 4 depart-ments serving a population of 250,000or more.

Overall, 38% of departments, employing74% of all officers, used routine bicyclepatrol. More than 8 in 10 departmentsserving 100,000 or more residents hadroutine bike patrols, as did about 6 in10 departments serving 10,000 to99,999 residents.

Compared to 2000 the percentage oflocal police departments using routinefoot or bicycle patrol in 2003 was aboutthe same in jurisdictions with 250,000 ormore residents, or fewer than 10,000residents (figure 9). In jurisdictions with50,000 to 249,999 residents, it declinedfrom 91% to 80%, and in jurisdictionswith 10,000 to 49,999 residents, it

declined from 82% to 72%. From 1997to 2000 there had been an increase inthe use of these types of patrol in allpopulation categories.

An estimated 14% of departments,employing 60% of all officers, usedmotorcycle patrol on a routine basisduring 2003. This included a majority ofthose serving 50,000 or more residents.

Overall, few departments routinelyscheduled marine (4%) or horse (2%)patrol units. However, about 6 in 10departments serving 250,000 or moreresidents used horse patrols on aroutine basis.


Population served

Percent of agencies

Under 10,000

10,000 - 49,999

50,000 - 249,999

250,000 or more

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%1997

2003

Percent of local police departments using foot orbike patrol, by size of population served, 1997-2003

2000

*Excludes agencies not operating that type of station.--Less than 0.5%.

1--13112Under 2,50011181122,500-9,9992321911710,000-24,9991824011825,000-49,99911135222850,000-99,999119470348100,000-249,999227871495250,000-499,9992271078992500,000-999,999619%1488%1794%1,000,000 or more

12%212%215% All sizes

Averagenumber*

Percentoperating

Averagenumber*

Percentoperating

Averagenumber*

Percentoperating

Populationserved

Mobile neighborhoodsubstations

Fixed neighborhoodsubstations

District, precinct, or division stations

Table 23. Average number of district/precinct stations, andneighborhood/community substations operated by local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

--Less than 0.5%.--231861Under 2,500--3843612,500-9,9992521585310,000-24,9992849604725,000-49,99971463645450,000-99,999

1814898357100,000-249,9995932938376250,000-499,99963411009579500,000-999,99963%63%81%100%75%1,000,000 or more

2%4%14%38%59% All sizes

HorseMarineMotor-cycleBicycle

Foot

Populationserved

Percent of agencies using eachtype of patrol on a routine basis

Table 24. Types of routine patrol other than automobile used by local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

Figure 9

All but a few small local police depart-ments regularly responded to citizencalls for service. An estimated 38% ofagencies dispatched calls as well (table25). This included at least 70% of thedepartments in each population categoryof 10,000 or more.

Nearly a quarter (23%) of local policedepartments dispatched calls for fireservices. Fire dispatch responsibilitieswere most common among depart-ments serving 10,000 to 99,999residents, where more than 40%performed this function. About in 1 in 10 departments used swornpersonnel as communications techni-cians such as call-takers and dispatch-ers (table 26). This included about aquarter of those serving 500,000 or moreresidents. Among departments havingsworn communications technicians, theaverage number of such personnel was7, ranging from 2 in the smallestdepartments to more than 30 in thoseserving 250,000 to 999,999 residents.Overall, local police departments hadan estimated 8,675 full-time swornpersonnel serving in this capacity.

9-1-1 emergency telephone system

In 2003, 92% of local police departmentsparticipated in a 9-1-1 emergencytelephone system (table 27). At least89% of departments in each populationcategory were 9-1-1 participants,including all of those serving 100,000 to999,999 residents.

Seventy-three percent of departmentshad an enhanced 9-1-1 system,capable of automatically displayinginformation such as a caller’s phonenumber, address, and special needs.This included more than 90% of thoseserving a population of 50,000 or more.

Sixty-one percent of departments injurisdictions with fewer than 2,500residents had enhanced 9-1-1.

Among the enhanced 9-1-1 systems inuse during 2003, 63% had the ability todisplay the phone number of wirelesscallers, and 19% could display thelocation of wireless callers.

In 2003, 98% of all local police officersworked for a department with 9-1-1,compared to 60% in 1987 (figure 10).Ninety percent of officers wereemployed by a department withenhanced 9-1-1 in 2003, compared to26% in 1987.


*Excludes agencies not employing technicians.27527Under 2,50062,28792,500-9,99992,5241510,000-24,999

111,4091625,000-49,999148451550,000-99,9991431212100,000-249,999331017250,000-499,9993436227500,000-999,999208425%1,000,000 or more

78,67510% All sizes

Average*TotalNumber of officersPopulation

served


Table 26. Full-time sworn personnel in local police departments serving as communications technicians,by size of population served, 2003

Note: Participating agencies are those whoseunits can be dispatched as result of a call to9-1-1. Detail may not add to total because ofrounding.

276189Under 2,5001675922,500-9,99913859810,000-24,9998899725,000-49,9994939750,000-99,999794100100,000-249,999298100250,000-499,999397100500,000-999,9990%94%94%1,000,000 or more

19%73%92% All sizes

BasicEnhancedTotal

Percent of agencies participating in a9-1-1 phone systemPopulation

served

Table 27. Participation in a 9-1-1emergency telephone system by local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

814Under 2,50027402,500-9,999417010,000-24,999447425,000-49,999467750,000-99,9993377100,000-249,9991781250,000-499,999576500,000-999,9996%81%1,000,000 or more

23%38% All sizes

Fire services

Policeservices

Populationserved

Percent of agenciesdispatching calls for C

Table 25. Dispatch functions of local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

1987 1990 1993 1997 2000 20030

20%

40%

60%

80%

100% Any 9-1-1

Local police department participationin a 9-1-1 emergency telephone system, 1987-2003

Enhanced 9-1-1

Percent of officers employedby departments with 9-1-1

2003

Figure 10

Crime investigation

Overall, 92% of local police depart-ments had investigative responsibilityfor at least some types of crimes duringthe 12-month period ending June 30,2003. Sixty-four percent ofdepartments, employing 91% of allofficers, handled homicide investiga-tions (table 28). This included morethan 9 in 10 departments serving25,000 or more residents.

Sixty-two percent of departments,employing 74% of all officers,conducted arson investigations. Thisincluded more than 80% of the depart-ments serving 10,000 to 99,999residents.

Forty-five percent of departments,employing 75% of all officers,conducted cybercrime investigations,including more than 7 in 10 depart-ments in each population category of10,000 or more.

Drug enforcement activities

About 9 in 10 local police departmentsregularly performed drug enforcementfunctions (table 29). More than 90% of the departments in each populationcategory of 2,500 or more had drugenforcement responsibilities, includingall of those serving 250,000 or moreresidents. Departments with drugenforcement responsibilities employed97% of all local police officers.

Eighteen percent of local police depart-ments operated a special unit for drugenforcement with one or more officersassigned full-time (table 30). Themajority of departments serving apopulation of 50,000 or more residentshad a full-time drug enforcement unit.There were an estimated 12,212 localpolice officers assigned full time todrug enforcement units nationwide.The average number of officers assignedranged from 233 in jurisdictions with 1million or more residents to 1 in thosewith fewer than 2,500 residents.


244646Under 2,5004865662,500-9,99973838810,000-24,99977849325,000-49,99975829550,000-99,999787098100,000-249,9998856100250,000-499,999815492500,000-999,99994%69%100%1,000,000 or more

45%62%64%All sizes

CybercrimeArsonHomicidePercent of agencies investigating —Population

served

Table 28. Local police departments with primary investigative responsibility for selected crimes, by size of population served, 2003

87Under 2,500922,500-9,9999510,000-24,9999425,000-49,9999650,000-99,99999100,000-249,999

100250,000-499,999100500,000-999,999100%1,000,000 or more

91%All sizes

Percent of agenciesregularly providing drug enforcement

Population served

Table 29. Drug enforcement in localpolice departments, by size ofpopulation served, 2003

*Excludes agencies not having a unit with full-time officers.

14406Under 2,500

2833142,500-9,999

21,0402610,000-24,999

31,0254325,000-49,999

61,5456650,000-99,999

121,79183100,000-249,999

2596493250,000-499,999

321,19997500,000-999,999

2333,37588%1,000,000 or more

612,21218% All sizes

Average* Total

Number of full-time officersPercent of agencies

Populationserved

Full-time unit for drug enforcement

Table 30. Special units for drug enforcement in localpolice departments, by size of population served, 2003

Drug task force participation

In 2003 an estimated 23% of localpolice departments had one or moreofficers assigned full time to a multi-agency drug enforcement task force(table 31), including more than three-quarters of departments serving 50,000or more residents. About 65% of alllocal police officers worked for adepartment that assigned officers to atask force.

Nationwide, an estimated 5,959 localpolice officers were assigned full timeto a drug task force. The averagenumber assigned full time ranged from39 in departments serving a populationof 1 million or more to 1 or 2 in thoseserving fewer than 50,000 residents.

Drug asset forfeiture receipts

Thirty-six percent of all local policedepartments received money, property,or goods from a drug asset forfeitureprogram during 2002 (table 32). Thesedepartments employed 78% of all localpolice officers. At least 80% of thedepartments in each populationcategory of 25,000 or more had drugasset forfeiture receipts.

The overall median amount receivedfrom drug asset forfeiture programs bylocal police departments during 2002was $7,000. By population category,the median amount received rangedfrom about $1.2 million among

departments serving a population of 1million or more to $2,000 among thoseserving fewer than 2,500 residents.

Local police departments received anestimated $298 million in money,goods, and property from drug assetforfeitures during 2002. Including bothdepartments with receipts and thosewithout, this was the equivalent of $642per sworn officer employed. Depart-ments with 100 to 249 officers receivedthe most — $990 per officer (figure 11).Next highest were departments with250 to 999 officers with $928 perofficer. Departments with fewer than 50officers received the least — about$400 per officer.


Figure 11

Under 25

25-49

50-99

100-249

250-999

1,000 or more

$0 $200 $400 $600 $800 $1,000

departments, by size of agency, 2002

Drug receipts per sworn officer*

*Part-time officers are included with a weight of .5 assigned.

Number of full-timesworn personnel

Drug asset forfeiture receipts of local police

*Excludes agencies not having officers assigned full time.

15658Under 2,50021,132182,500-9,99911,0003810,000-24,99928815925,000-49,99938027550,000-99,999455780100,000-249,999626195250,000-499,999827789500,000-999,999

3948475%1,000,000 or more

25,95923% All sizes

Average*Total

Number of officersassigned full time

Percent ofagenciesparticipating

Populationserved

Multi-agency drug enforcement task force

Table 31. Participation by local police departments in multi-agency drug enforcement task forces, by size of population served, 2003

*Excludes agencies not having drug asset forfeiture receipts.

2,0004,963,60016Under 2,5004,00025,905,900352,500-9,9998,00028,116,7005710,000-24,999

12,40026,664,2008025,000-49,99939,30045,156,9008950,000-99,999

126,90050,556,70097100,000-249,999294,80030,275,20098250,000-499,999579,30030,710,200100500,000-999,999

$1,177,000$55,964,90093%1,000,000 or more

$7,000$298,314,30036% All sizes

Median*Total

Value of money, goods, and property received

Percent of agencies withreceipts*

Populationserved

Asset forfeiture receipts during 2002

Table 32. Drug asset forfeiture program receipts of local police departments, by size of population served, 2002

Court-related functions

A large majority of local police depart-ments executed arrest warrants (91%)and enforced protection orders (84%)during 2003 (table 33). Less commonresponsibilities included providing courtsecurity (27%), serving civil process(18%), enforcing child support orders(16%), or serving eviction notices(10%).

Detention-related functions

About one-third (32%) of local policedepartments provided inmate transportservices during 2003 (table 34). Abouta quarter (24%) operated a temporaryholding cell not used for overnightdetention.

Nine percent of local police depart-ments operated at least one jail during2003. No more than 23% of the depart-ments in any population category wereoperating a jail. Sixteen percent of alllocal police officers worked for adepartment with a jail.

Twenty-five percent of departmentsoperated at least one temporaryholding (lockup) facility for overnightdetention of adults that was separatefrom a jail (table 35). The medianmaximum holding time for these facilities was 20 hours.

The median total capacity of adultlockups ranged from 76 in jurisdictionswith 1 million or more residents to 4 inthose with fewer than 10,000 residents.The estimated total adult capacity oflocal police lockups nationwide wasabout 25,500.

Thirteen percent of departments had a lockup facility for juveniles, with amedian maximum holding time of 16hours. The median capacity of juvenilelockups ranged from 40 in jurisdictionswith 1 million or more residents to 1 inthose with fewer than 2,500 residents.Nationwide, local police lockups forjuveniles had a estimated total capacityof about 4,600.


162026278189Under 2,500815142887932,500-9,9993121127859210,000-24,9992111329879525,000-49,999412827819150,000-99,9993119157182100,000-249,9990105107181250,000-499,99951313136579500,000-999,999

13%25%13%25%69%81%1,000,000 or more

10%16%18%27%84%91%All sizes

Servingevictionnotices

Enforcingchildsupportorders

Serving civilprocess

Providingcourtsecurity

Enforcingprotectionorders

Executingarrestwarrants

Population served

Percent of agencies —

Table 33. Court-related functions of local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

*Not for overnight detention.61024Under 2,500926332,500-9,999

13404110,000-24,99915475425,000-49,99919464650,000-99,999234440100,000-249,999154644250,000-499,99955425500,000-999,999

19%69%50%1,000,000 or more

9%24%32% All sizes

Operating 1 or more jails

Operating a temporary holding cell*

Providinginmate transport

Population served

Percent of agencies —

Table 34. Detention functions of local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

Note: Median capacity is based on total for all lockups, and excludes departments notoperating a facility.*For overnight detention and physically separate from a jail.

1348Under 2,5002124262,500-9,99922954810,000-24,99923385225,000-49,999334125150,000-99,9994283243100,000-249,9995125832250,000-499,999

12256725500,000-999,9994019%7631%1,000,000 or more

213%425% All sizes

Median totalcapacity

Percent with lockup

Median totalcapacity

Percent with lockup

Population served

JuvenileAdultAgencies operating temporary holding (lockup) facilities*

Table 35. Temporary holding (lockup) facilities operated by local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

Special public safety functions

About three-quarters (74%) of localpolice departments in 2003 providedcrime prevention education to citizens,including more than 9 in 10 agenciesserving populations of 10,000 or more(table 36).

About two-thirds (65%) of departmentsprovided animal control services in2003. Other special public safetyfunctions included: school crossingservices (42%); emergency medicalservices (26%); civil defense (19%);and fire services (10%).

Traffic and vehicle-related functions

Nearly all local police departmentsenforced traffic laws (100%) and inves-tigated traffic accidents (97%) (table37). Nearly 9 in 10 performed trafficdirection and control (89%) and alsoparking enforcement (86%) functions.Thirty-eight percent of departmentshandled commercial vehicle enforce-ment functions, including a majority ofthose serving a population of 25,000 ormore.

Special operations functions

One quarter of departments performedtactical operations in 2003, utilizingwhat are commonly known as SWAT(Special Weapons and Tactics) teams(table 38). These departmentsemployed 73% of all local policeofficers. Nearly all departments servinga population of 100,000 or moreperformed tactical operations.

An estimated 21% of local policedepartments, employing 36% of allofficers, performed search and rescueoperations on a regular basis during2003. This included 63% of the depart-ments serving 1 million or moreresidents and 49% of those serving500,000 to 999,999 residents.

Four percent of local police depart-ments, employing 24% of all officers,were responsible for underwater recov-ery operations during 2003. Thisincluded about half of the departmentsserving populations of 500,000 ormore.

Three percent of departments, employ-ing 43% of officers, had primaryresponsibility for explosives disposal.This included more than three-quartersof the departments serving 250,000 ormore residents.


142030337058Under 2,500818274768792,500-9,9997212149619210,000-24,9994181951579525,000-49,9993161354499550,000-99,9992189563594100,000-249,9995177463290250,000-499,9993178592587500,000-999,9990%31%19%50%25%94%1,000,000 or more

10%19%26%42%65%74%All sizes

Fire services

Civil defense

Emergencymedicalservices

Schoolcrossingservices

Animalcontrol

Crimepreventioneducation

Population served

Percent of agencies responsible for —

Table 36. Special public safety functions of localpolice departments, by size of population served, 2003

32818694100Under 2,500398990981002,500-9,9994592959910010,000-24,9995293919910025,000-49,9995188909910050,000-99,99956819499100100,000-249,999617395100100250,000-499,999577197100100500,000-999,99981%88%88%100%100%1,000,000 or more

38%86%89%97%100%All sizes

Commercialvehicleenforcement

Parkingenforcement

Trafficdirection/control

Accidentinvestigation

Traffic law enforcement

Population served

Percent of agencies responsible for C

Table 37. Traffic and vehicle-related functions of local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

--Less than 0.5%.

--2228Under 2,5001220202,500-9,99936194310,000-24,99968206825,000-49,999

1816198650,000-99,99942172693100,000-249,999762729100250,000-499,99987444997500,000-999,99988%56%63%100%1,000,000 or more

3%4%21%25% All sizes

Bomb/explosivesdisposal

Underwaterrecovery

Search and rescue

Tactical operations(SWAT)

Population served

Percent of agencies responsible for C

Table 38. Special operations functions of local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

Community policing

Community policing promotes andsupports organizational strategies toaddress the causes and reduce thefear of crime and social disorderthrough problem-solving tactics andpolice-community partnerships.Balancing responses to calls forservice with proactive problem solving,effective community policing requirespolice and citizens to join together inidentifying and addressing underlyingcauses of crime and disorder. Theimplementation of a community polic-ing plan is designed to support andempower front-line officers, decentral-ize command, and encourage innova-tive problem solving. For moreinformation see the COPS officewebsite at <http://www.cops.usdoj.gov>.

In 2003, 14% of local policedepartments, employing 44% of all localpolice officers, had a formally writtencommunity policing plan (table 39).This included at least 40% of thedepartments in each populationcategory of 50,000 or more.

Among the two-thirds of local policedepartments that had an agencymission statement in 2003, 70%, repre-senting 47% of all departments, hadone that included some aspect ofcommunity policing (table 40). Thesedepartments employed 73% of all localpolice officers.

Community policing training

During the year ending June 30, 2003,39% of local police departments,employing 72% of all officers, trained at least some new recruits in communitypolicing skills such as problem-solving;Scanning, Analysis, Response, Assess-ment (SARA); and developing commu-nity partnerships (table 41).

Thirty-one percent of departments,employing 67% of all officers, trainedall new recruits in community policing.The proportion of departments thattrained all recruits ranged from overthree-quarters among those serving100,000 or more residents to about asixth among those serving fewer than2,500 residents.

Forty-eight percent of departments,employing 57% of officers, trained atleast some inservice officers during the1-year period. Seventeen percent ofdepartments, employing 19% of allofficers, trained all inservice officers in community policing.

Twelve percent of departments,employing 28% of nonsworn localpolice employees, trained at leastsome civilian employees in communitypolicing during the 1-year period.


7Under 2,500112,500-9,9992110,000-24,9992925,000-49,9994050,000-99,99953100,000-249,99968250,000-499,99940500,000-999,99950%1,000,000 or more

14% All sizes

Percent ofagencies witha community policing plan

Population served

Table 39. Local police departmentswith a formal, written communitypolicing plan, by size of populationserved, 2003

183250Under 2,5002447712,500-9,99923658710,000-24,99919769525,000-49,99921769750,000-99,999128799100,000-249,999158398250,000-499,9993961100500,000-999,99913%88%100%1,000,000 or more

20%47%67% All sizes

No communitypolicingcomponent

With acommunitypolicing component Total

Population served

Percent of agencies with a mission statement

Table 40. Local police departments with a mission statement thatincludes community policing, by size of population served, 2003

*During 1-year period ending June 30, 2003.224Under 2,50075122,500-9,999

1261810,000-24,9992643025,000-49,9992542950,000-99,99937542100,000-249,99929332250,000-499,99919625500,000-999,99919%6%25%1,000,000 or more

8%4%12% All sizesCivilian personnel

191837Under 2,5003416502,500-9,99942186010,000-24,99949176625,000-49,99954177150,000-99,999531972100,000-249,999442064250,000-499,999321749500,000-999,99944%31%75%1,000,000 or more

31%17%48% All sizesInservice sworn personnel

61723Under 2,5001129402,500-9,9998515910,000-24,9999586725,000-49,9999637250,000-99,99987684100,000-249,99938588250,000-499,99937679500,000-999,9990%81%81%1,000,000 or more

8%31%39% All sizesNew officer recruits

SomeAllTotal

Percent of agencies that trained personnel for 8 or more hours incommunity policing Population

served

Table 41. Community policing training in local police departments,by size of population served, 2003

Community policing personnel

Overall, 58% of departments, employing82% of all officers, had full-time swornpersonnel serving as community polic-ing officers (table 42). In some jurisdic-tions these officers are known ascommunity relations officers, commu-nity resource officers, or some othername indicative of the community polic-ing approach they employ. Nationwide,local police departments employedabout 55,000 community policingofficers or their equivalent.

A majority of departments in all popula-tion categories had full-time communitypolicing officers. Those serving apopulation of 1 million or moreemployed 287 such officers onaverage. Departments serving fewerthan 2,500 residents had 3 on average.

In all population categories the percent-age of local police departments usingcommunity policing officers in 2003was greater than in 1997, but less thanin 2000 (figure 12). In jurisdictions withfewer than 10,000 residents, thepercentage rose from 26% in 1997 to62% in 2000, then dropped to 54% in2003; in those with 10,000 to 49,999residents, from 57%, to 75%, to 67%; in those with 50,000 to 249,999residents, from 76% to 93% to 88%;

and in those with 250,000 or moreresidents, from 75% to 92% to 89%.

An estimated 43% of local policedepartments, employing 74% of alllocal police officers, had full-time swornpersonnel assigned as school resourceofficers during 2003 (table 43). Morethan two-thirds of the departments ineach population category of 10,000 ormore used school resource officers,including 93% of those in jurisdictionswith 250,000 to 499,999 residents.

School resource officers use a commu-nity policing approach to provide a safeenvironment for students and staff. Inaddition to handling calls for service

within the school, they work closely with school administrators and staff to prevent crime and disorder bymonitoring crime trends, problemareas, cultural conflicts, and otherareas of concern.

As of June 2003 local police depart-ments had an estimated 14,337 full-time sworn personnel assigned asschool resource officers, about 600more than in June 2000. The averagenumber of school resource officers in2003 ranged from 75 in departmentsserving 1 million or more residents, to 2 in those serving fewer than 25,000residents.


*Excludes agencies that did not employ any full-time community policing officers.

37,06052Under 2,500511,377552,500-9,99977,5826210,000-24,999

106,0718025,000-49,999145,3298850,000-99,999335,15289100,000-249,999943,38885250,000-499,999

1204,13589500,000-999,9992874,756100%1,000,000 or more


Averagenumber of full-timesworn*

Total numberof officers

Percent of agenciesusing

Population served

Community policing officers

Table 42. Full-time community policing officers in localpolice departments, by size of population served, 2003

*Excludes agencies that did not employ any full-time school resource officers.

21,61120Under 2,50022,861442,500-9,99922,4417010,000-24,99931,7348425,000-49,99951,8938350,000-99,999

101,46887100,000-249,9991871593250,000-499,9992776073500,000-999,9997585569%1,000,000 or more


Averagenumber of full-timesworn*

Totalnumberof officers

Percent of agenciesusing

Populationserved

School resource officers

Table 43. Full-time school resource officers in localpolice departments, by size of population served, 2003

Population served

Percent of agencies

Under 10,000

10,000 - 49,999

50,000 - 249,999

250,000 or more

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

1997

2003

Percent of local police departments using full-timecommunity policing officers, 1997, 2000 and 2003

2000

Figure 12

Community policing policies and programs

In an effort to hire officers more suitedto community policing, 27% percent oflocal police departments, employing32% of all officers, assessed newrecruits’ analytical and problem-solvingabilities as part of the selection process(table 44). Fourteen percent of depart-ments, employing 23% of officers,assessed recruits’ understanding ofculturally diverse populations. Tenpercent of departments, employing12% of officers, assessed mediationskills and ability to manage interper-sonal conflicts.

Thirty-one percent of departments,employing 70% of all officers, gavepatrol officers responsibility for specificgeographic areas or beats during 2003(table 45). Most departments serving10,000 or more residents assignedpatrol officers to geographic areas.

About 1 in 4 departments, employingnearly half (45%) of all officers, activelyencouraged patrol officers to becomeinvolved in problem-solving projects.Most departments serving 50,000 ormore residents had such a policy. Fourteen percent of departments,employing 34% of all officers, includedparticipation in collaborative problem-solving projects in the performanceevaluation criteria for patrol officers.

An estimated 37% of departments,employing 73% of all officers,partnered with citizen groups to elicitfeedback for developing communitypolicing strategies (table 46). Thisincluded more than two-thirds ofdepartments serving a population of25,000 or more. Twenty-one percent of departments,employing 54% of all officers, upgradedtechnology during 2003 to support theanalysis of community problems. Thisincluded a majority of departmentsserving 50,000 or more residents.

Eighteen percent of departments,employing 53% of all officers, offeredtraining to citizens on community polic-ing topics such as community

mobilization and problem-solving. Amajority of departments serving 50,000or more residents offered such training.

Seventeen percent of departments,employing 58% of all officers,conducted a citizen police academy.About 80% of the departments servinga population of 100,000 or moreconducted citizen academies.

Sixty percent of departments, employ-ing 84% of all officers, had problem-solving partnerships or writtenagreements with community groups,local agencies, or others during theyear ending June 30, 2003. Thisincluded about 9 in 10 departmentsserving 50,000 or more residents.


81316Under 2,5001014282,500-9,99912163810,000-24,99911164525,000-49,99910214250,000-99,999141644100,000-249,999172451250,000-499,999191941500,000-999,99931%31%44%1,000,000 or more

10%14%27% All sizes

Mediationskills/conflictmanagement

Understanding of culturallydiversepopulations

Analytical problem-solving ability

Populationserved

Percent of agencies using —

Table 44. Ability assessments related to community policing used by local police departments for selecting new officers, by size of population served, 2003

91614Under 2,5001319262,500-9,99916365410,000-24,99930476625,000-49,99940578250,000-99,999477187100,000-249,999496888250,000-499,999275479500,000-999,99931%56%81%1,000,000 or more

14%24%31% All sizes

Included inevaluation

Actively encouraged

Populationserved

Patrol officer involvement in problem-solving projectsGeographic

assignments forpatrol officers

Table 45. Community policing policies for sworn personnel in local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

210102350Under 2,50012132233592,500-9,999322829547010,000-24,999543844678225,000-49,999655154738650,000-99,9997865678691100,000-249,9997871738595250,000-499,9997865708192500,000-999,99981%75%69%94%88%1,000,000 or more

17%18%21%37%60% All sizes

Conductedcitizen policeacademy

Trainedcitizens incommunitypolicing

Upgradedtechnology for analysis of communityproblems

Partneredwith citizengroups toelicitfeedback

Problem-solvingpartnershipsor writtenagreements

Populationserved

Activities in year ending June 30, 2003

Table 46. Community policing activities of local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

Local police departments had partner-ships or written agreements with a widevariety of groups. About three-fifths oflocal police officers worked for adepartment that had partnerships oragreements with other law enforcementagencies (63%), school groups (62%),neighborhood associations (62%), orlocal public agencies (57%) (figure 13).

About half of all officers worked for adepartment that had problem-solvingpartnerships or written agreements withbusiness groups (49%), advocacygroups (49%), or youth service organi-zations (49%).

More than two-fifths of all officers wereemployed by a department that hadpartnerships or written agreements withsenior citizen groups (45%) or faith-based organizations (43%).

Twenty-two percent of local police depart-ments, employing 43% of all officers,surveyed citizens in their jurisdictionduring the year ending June 30, 2003(table 47). Seventeen percent ofdepartments, employing 38% of allofficers, surveyed citizens regardingtheir satisfaction with police services. A majority of the departments serving250,000 to 499,999 residentsconducted citizen satisfaction surveys.

Twelve percent of departments,employing 23% of all officers, surveyedcitizens regarding their perceptions ofcrime problems; 10%, employing 17%of all officers, surveyed citizens regard-ing crime reporting; and 7%, employing17% of all officers, surveyed citizensabout their personal crime experiences.

A majority of the departments conduct-ing surveys used the data to evaluateagency performance (76%) or toprovide information to officers (61%)(figure 14). Other common usesincluded evaluating officer performance(49%), evaluating program effective-ness (45%), prioritizing crime anddisorder problems (43%), allocatingresources to neighborhoods (38%), andtraining development (37%).


Redistrict beats/reporting areas

Training development

Allocate resources to neighborhoods

Prioritize crime/disorder problems

Evaluate program effectiveness

Evaluate officer performance

Provide information to patrol officers

Evaluate agency performance

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Percent of agencies that surveyed citizens

Uses of citizen survey information by local police departments, 2003

Faith-based organizations

Senior citizen groups

Youth service organizations

Advocacy groups

Business groups

Local public agencies

Neighborhood associations

School groups

Other law enforcement agencies

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Percent of local police officers employed byagencies partnering with each type of group

Type of group

Groups with which local police departments had problem-solvingpartnerships or written agreements during the year ending June 30, 2003

Figure 13

2981017Under 2,50068815192,500-9,999

131219262810,000-24,999161225333825,000-49,999252734404550,000-99,9993026384853100,000-249,9992833505858250,000-499,9992430304343500,000-999,99919%6%13%25%31%1,000,000 or more

7%10%12%17%22% All sizes

Personalcrimeexperiences

Reporting ofcrimes to lawenforcement

Perceptionsof crimeproblems

Satisfactionwith services

Anytopic

Populationserved

Percent of agencies that surveyed citizens during12-month period ending June 30, 2003 regarding —

Table 47. Surveying of citizens by local police departments,by size of population served, 2003

Figure 14

Policies and procedures

Local police departments typically havenumerous written policies and proce-dures to structure officer discretion anddecision making. These policies andprocedures guide officers through theirdiverse work activities.

Special populations

Eighty-four percent of local policedepartments, employing 95% of alllocal police officers, had written policiesor procedures for handling juveniles.This included all agencies serving apopulation of 1 million or moreresidents (table 48).

A majority of departments had writtenpolicies or procedures on responding to the mentally ill (59%). These depart-ments employed 81% of all officers.Twenty-seven percent of local depart-ments, employing 42% of officers, hadpolicies or procedures for interactionswith homeless persons.

Work-related policies

Forty-nine percent of local policedepartments, employing 72% of allofficers, had a written policy on themaximum number of hours that officerscan work (table 49). Eighty-one percentof departments, employing 96% of allofficers, had a written policy pertainingto off-duty employment by officers. This

included all departments serving250,000 or more residents, and nearlyall of those serving a population of10,000 to 249,999.

Use of force

Ninety-five percent of departments,employing 99% of all officers, had awritten policy pertaining to the use ofdeadly force (table 50). All departmentsserving 10,000 or more residents, and98% of those serving 2,500 to 9,999residents, had such a policy. Ninetypercent of departments, employing97% of all officers, had a written policypertaining to the use of nonlethal force.

Officer conduct and appearance

Ninety-four percent of departments,employing 99% of officers, had awritten code of officer conduct andappearance. This included all depart-ments serving 25,000 or moreresidents (table 51). Eighty-six percentof departments, employing 96% ofofficers, had a written policy coveringoff-duty conduct.


3666Under 2,50053882,500-9,999639510,000-24,999699925,000-49,999679850,000-99,9997199100,000-249,99963100250,000-499,99981100500,000-999,99994%100%1,000,000 or more

49%81% All sizes

Maximumwork hours

Off-duty employment

Populationserved

Percent of agencies with a written policy on C

Table 49. Work-related policies in local policedepartments, by size of population served, 2003

244973Under 2,5002560892,500-9,99932659410,000-24,99934799425,000-49,99933869750,000-99,999448899100,000-249,999548898250,000-499,999518994500,000-999,99931%94%100%1,000,000 or more

27%59%84% All sizes

Homelesspersons

Mentally ill personsJuveniles

Populationserved

Percent of agencies with a written policy for handling C

Table 48. Policies on handling special populations in local policedepartments, by size of population served, 2003

8389Under 2,50093982,500-9,9999610010,000-24,9999810025,000-49,9999810050,000-99,999

100100100,000-249,99995100250,000-499,99997100500,000-999,999

100%100%1,000,000 or more

90%95% All sizes

Non-lethal force

Deadly force

Populationserved

Percent of agencies with a written policyon C

Table 50. Policies on officer use of force in local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

7689Under 2,50091972,500-9,999939910,000-24,9999610025,000-49,9999710050,000-99,99999100100,000-249,999

100100250,000-499,99994100500,000-999,999

100%100%1,000,000 or more

86%94% All sizes

Off-dutyconduct

Conduct andappearance

Populationserved


Table 51. Written policy directivespertaining to officer conduct andappearance In local police departments,by size of population served, 2003

Vehicle-related policies

Forty-nine percent of local policedepartments, employing 40% of localpolice officers, allowed officers to takemarked vehicles home (table 52).Eleven percent of departments allowedofficers to use the vehicle for personalerrands.

Ninety-four percent of local policedepartments, including all of thoseserving 25,000 or more residents, hada written policy governing pursuitdriving (table 53). Sixty-one percent ofdepartments, employing 82% ofofficers, had a restrictive pursuit drivingpolicy, one that restricts pursuitsaccording to specific criteria such astype of offense or maximum speed.

Twenty-five percent of departments,employing 13% of officers, had ajudgmental pursuit policy, one thatleaves pursuit decisions to the officer’sdiscretion. Six percent of departments,employing 3% of all officers, had apolicy that discouraged pursuits.

Additional policies

Eighty-seven percent of departmentshad written policies on the handling ofdomestic disputes and citizen com-plaints (table 54). These departmentsemployed more than 95% of all localpolice officers.

Seventy-five percent of departments,employing 93% of all officers, hadwritten policies about interactions withthe media. This included all depart-ments serving 500,000 or moreresidents, and more than 90% of thoseserving 25,000 to 499,999 residents.

Sixty-two percent of departments,employing 79% of all officers, hadwritten policies pertaining to racialprofiling by officers. This included about9 in 10 agencies serving 250,000 ormore residents.

Sixty percent of departments, employ-ing 86% of all officers, had a writtenpolicy on strip searches. This includedmore than 9 in 10 departments servinga population of 100,000 or more, and

more than 8 in 10 departments serving25,000 to 99,999 residents.

Fifty-two percent of departments,serving 83% of all officers, had awritten policy pertaining to employeecounseling. More than 9 in 10 depart-ments serving 100,000 or moreresidents had such a policy.

Thirty-nine percent of departments hada written plan specifying the actions tobe taken in the event of terroristattacks. This included about 9 in 10departments serving a population of100,000 or more. Agencies having awritten plan specifying their response to terrorist events employed 75% of alllocal police officers in 2003.


27324355608078Under 2,500365865608287922,500-9,9995569777185959610,000-24,9996384847795969825,000-49,9997287857494999850,000-99,99987949382999999100,000-249,9999593959098100100250,000-499,999899595891009794500,000-999,99988%94%94%94%100%100%100%1,000,000 or more

39%52%60%62%75%87%87% All sizes

Responseto terrorism

Employeecounseling

Stripsearches

Racialprofiling

Interactingwith themedia

Citizencomplaints

Domesticdisputes

Populationserved


Table 54. Additional written policy directives of local police departments by size of population served, 2003

Note: Detail may not add to total because of rounding.481361Under 2,500358432,500-9,99925113510,000-24,99919123125,000-49,99929204950,000-99,999331953100,000-249,999541568250,000-499,999302251500,000-999,99925%19%44%1,000,000 or more

38%11%49% All sizes

Not allowedAllowedTotalPersonal usePopulation

served

Percent of agencies allowing officersto take marked vehicles home

Table 52. Vehicle use policies in local policedepartments, by size of population served, 2003

Note: Detail may not add to total because of rounding.27334789Under 2,500392363982,500-9,9993215799910,000-24,99941128310025,000-49,99952147910050,000-99,999421282100100,000-249,999221581100250,000-499,999051481100500,000-999,9990%0%19%81%100%1,000,000 or more

3%6%25%61%94% All sizes

OtherDiscour-agementJudgmentalRestrictive

Total with policy

Populationserved

Percent of agencies with a written policy on pursuit driving

Table 53. Pursuit driving policies of local departments,by size of population served, 2003

Equipment

Sidearms

In 2003 nearly all local police depart-ments authorized patrol officers tocarry one or more types of semiauto-matic sidearms (table 55). Seventeenpercent of them authorized revolvers.

The most common sidearm was the.40-caliber semiautomatic, authorizedby 62% of all departments, employing55% of all officers. About a third ofdepartments authorized 9mm and.45-caliber semiautomatics. Othersemiautomatic sidearms authorizedincluded the .357-caliber (16%), the10mm (10%), and the .380-caliber (3%).

Nineteen percent of departments,employing 8% of officers, had a policythat authorized officers to carry any ofthe above semiautomatic sidearms,provided the officer qualifies with theweapon on a firing range.

Sixty-five percent of local police depart-ments, employing 81% of all officers,supplied field officers with their primarysidearm. Three percent of departments,employing 6% of all officers, provided acash allowance for sidearms.

Body armor

In 2003, 71% of local police depart-ments, employing 74% of all officers,required field officers to wear protectivebody armor at least some of the timewhile on duty (table 56).

Fifty-nine percent of departments,employing 59% of all officers, requiredfield officers to wear body armor at alltimes while on duty. Twelve percent of

departments, employing 15% of officers,required officers to wear body armor incertain high-risk circumstances, such aswhen serving warrants.

Eighty-three percent of departments,employing 87% of all officers, suppliedarmor to officers and 5% provided acash allowance.

From 1990 to 2003, the percentage oflocal police officers employed by adepartment with some type of bodyarmor requirement for field officersincreased from 30% to 74% (figure 15).During the same period the percentageemployed by a department with arequirement for all field officers in allcircumstances rose from 25% to 59%.


30Under 2,50092,500-9,999610,000-24,999825,000-49,999450,000-99,9995100,000-249,9995250,000-499,9995500,000-999,9996%1,000,000 or more

19%All sizes

Percent authorizing any semiautomatic if officer qualifies

Populationserved

Figure 15

1990 1993 1997 2000 20030

20%

40%

60%

80%Any type ofrequirement

Body armor requirements in local policedepartments, 1990-2003

All officersrequired towear armor

Percent of officers employed byagencies requiring officers to wear armor

Note: Some departments authorized more than 1 type of sidearm.*Rounded from less than 100%.

41322374158*100Under 2,5003912312763*1002,500-9,9992612302969*10010,000-24,9991783131659925,000-49,999311123743689950,000-99,999691947525999100,000-249,9997715395961100250,000-499,9993317244865100500,000-999,9990%0%6%31%63%50%1001,000,000 or more

3%10%16%34%34%62%%*100 All sizes

.38010mm.357.459mm.40TotalPercent of agencies authorizing semiautomatic sidearmsPopulation

served

Table 55. Semiautomatic sidearms authorized foruse by sworn personnel in local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

115263Under 2,5001169802,500-9,99911637410,000-24,99913617425,000-49,99917526950,000-99,999185068100,000-249,999125668250,000-499,999196079500,000-999,99919%44%63%1,000,000 or more

12%59%71% All sizes

In somecircumstances

At alltimesTotal

Population served

Percent of agencies requiring fieldofficers to wear armor while on duty

Table 56. Body armor requirements for field officers in local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

Nonlethal weapons

In 2003 nearly all local police depart-ments authorized officers to use one ormore types of nonlethal weapons.Chemical agents, such as pepperspray, were the most commonly author-ized (table 57). Ninety-eight percent ofdepartments, employing 98% of allofficers, authorized the use of pepperspray.

Batons were also commonly authorized,with 95% of all departments allowingtheir use. Departments authorizing oneor more types of batons employed 98%of all officers. Collapsible batons (88%)were authorized by about twice asmany departments as traditional (49%)or PR-24 (42%) batons. About 9 in 10local police officers nationwide workedfor a department authorizing collapsiblebatons (89%) and about half for oneauthorizing traditional (56%) or PR-24(45%) batons.

An estimated 28% of departmentsemploying 47% of all officers, author-ized the use of soft projectiles. Thisincluded a majority of the departmentsserving a population of 25,000 or more.

Twenty-three percent of departments,employing 47% of all officers, author-ized electrical devices such as stunguns and tasers. This included 75% of

departments serving a population of 1million or more.

Thirteen percent of departments,employing 18% of all officers, author-ized the use of carotid holds, chokeholds, or neck restraints.

From 1990 to 2003, in populationcategories of less than 250,000, therewere large increases in the percentageof departments authorizing chemical

agents (figure 16). These increaseswere as follows: 50,000 to 249,999residents, 65% to 99%; 10,000 to49,999, 59% to 99%; under 10,000,48% to 99%.

In departments serving 250,000 ormore residents, where most depart-ments already authorized the use ofchemical agents in 1990, the increasewas from 86% to 97%. In 2003, 98% ofofficers were employed by a depart-ment that authorized chemical agents,compared to 72% in 1990.


Figure 16

Under 10,000

10,000 - 49,999

50,000 - 249,999

250,000 or more


Local police departments authorizing officers

2003

Population served

1990

to use chemical agents, 1990 and 2003

--Less than 0.5%. *Includes hand-held direct contact devices (such as stun gun) and hand-held stand-off devices (such as taser).

1661315134252869312149899Under 2,5000469212841478894141398982,500-9,999--310123142454791971722989910,000-24,999131912395739449399212410010025,000-49,9992322304672394592992725979950,000-99,99922223650664456939924229999100,000-249,999272239565944548310022249598250,000-499,999031616434838608910022199797500,000-999,9990%6%25%31%75%69%44%56%88%100%19%19%94%94%1,000,000 or more

1%5%8%13%23%28%42%49%88%95%14%16%98%99% All sizes

Highintensitylight

Black-jack

Rubberbullet

Holds/neck restraints

Electri-cal devices*

Softprojec-tile

PR-24

Tradi-tional

Collap- sible

Anytype in survey

CS

Teargas

Pepperspray

Any type insurvey

Populationserved

Other weapons/actionsBatonsChemical agents (personal use)Percent of agencies authorizing C

Table 57. Types of nonlethal weapons authorized for personal use by sworn personnel in local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

Vehicles

Nationwide, local police departments operated about 243,000 cars, or about52 cars per 100 sworn personnel (table58). By population category the ratio ofcars to officers was lowest in jurisdic-tions with 1 million or more residents C26 cars per 100 officers. The propor-tion ranged from 54 to 64 cars per 100officers in other population categories.

About a third of the cars operated bylocal police departments were unmarked(34%). The percentage of cars thatwere unmarked ranged from 45% injurisdictions with a population of 1million or more to 17% in jurisdictionswith fewer than 2,500 residents.

In addition to cars 54% of departmentsused other 4-wheel motorized vehiclessuch as sport utility vehicles, trucks orvans (table 59). This included a largemajority of departments in jurisdictionsserving 10,000 or more residents.Overall, there were about 39,000 suchvehicles operated, or about 8 per 100sworn personnel employed.

Sixteen percent of local police depart-ments used motorcycles during 2003,including more than 9 in 10 depart-ments serving a population of 100,000or more. Nationwide, local policeoperated about 10,000 motorcycles, orabout 2 for every 100 officersemployed.

Nearly half (45%) of all departmentswere using bicycles as of June 2003,with a total of nearly 29,000 nationwide(table 60). The ratio of bicycles toofficers was highest in jurisdictions witha population of 2,500 to 9,999 (11 per100), with an overall ratio for all popula-tion categories of 6 bicycles per 100sworn personnel.


*Part-time officers are included with a weight of .5 assigned.176415,259Under 2,500236131,1542,500-9,999315935,16210,000-24,999355627,24825,000-49,999366130,42050,000-99,999386331,599100,000-249,999396119,646250,000-499,999385426,826500,000-999,99945%2625,3761,000,000 or more

34%52242,691 All sizes

Per 100officers*Total

Population served

Percent of cars thatwere unmarked

Number of cars

Table 58. Number of cars operated by local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

*Part-time officers are included with a weight of .5 assigned. 1206382,02126Under 2,50015029105,122602,500-9,99921,0182595,3298710,000-24,99931,3805794,5609525,000-49,99931,57171104,8249850,000-99,99941,7889294,66499100,000-249,99939949072,25495250,000-499,99931,37795115,44295500,000-999,99911,238100%54,599100%1,000,000 or more

210,07416%838,81154% All sizes



Population served

Number operated Percent of agencies using

Number operatedPercent of agenciesusing

Motorcycles4-wheel motorized vehicles other than cars

Table 59. Number of motorcycles and 4-wheel motorized vehicles other thancars operated by local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

*Part-time officers are included with a weight of .5 assigned. 81,80918Under 2,500

115,477512,500-9,99995,6477510,000-24,99983,9058225,000-49,99973,3828950,000-99,99952,65793100,000-249,99941,20090250,000-499,99941,86289500,000-999,99932,785100%1,000,000 or more



Population served

Number of bicycles Percent of agencies using bicycles

Table 60. Number of bicycles operated by local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

Off-land vehicles

About 5% of local police departments,employing 39% of all officers, operatedat least one boat during 2003 (table61). This included a majority of thoseserving 250,000 or more residents.Nationwide, local police operated about1,200 boats.

One percent of departments, employing30% of all officers, used helicopters. Ofdepartments serving 250,000 or moreresidents, a majority used helicopters.An estimated 253 local police helicop-ters were in use nationwide in 2003.

Less than 1% of local police departmentsoperated fixed-wing aircraft, with anestimated total of 47 in use nationwide.Nearly half of departments serving 1million or more residents operated atleast 1 airplane. Departments usingairplanes employed 9% of all officers.

Animals

Twenty-nine percent of local policedepartments, employing 74% of allofficers, used dogs for law enforcementactivities (table 62). This included morethan 90% of those serving 100,000 ormore residents. Overall, about 7,500dogs were maintained by local policedepartments in 2003.

About 2% of departments, employing37% of all officers, used horses for lawenforcement purposes, including a

majority of those serving 250,000 ormore residents. Local police depart-ments collectively maintained approxi-mately 1,500 horses.

Video cameras

Sixty percent of all local police depart-ments used video cameras on a regularbasis during the year ending June 30,2003 (table 63). Agencies regularlyusing video cameras employed 67% of all local police officers.

Video cameras were most commonlyused in patrol cars (55%). A majority of the departments serving fewer than100,000 residents used in-car cameras,as did nearly half of those servinglarger populations. An estimated totalof 48,800 were in use in 2003, with anaverage of 7 cameras each amongdepartments using them.

Fourteen percent of departments usedvideo cameras for fixed-site surveil-lance, including about two-fifths ofthose serving a population of 250,000or more. Among departments usingsuch cameras, the average number inuse ranged from 2 in the smallest juris-dictions to over 500 in the largest.

Eleven percent of departments usedvideo cameras for traffic enforcement.The average number in use rangedfrom 2 in the smallest jurisdictions to 34in the largest.

Eight percent of departments usedvideo cameras for mobile surveillance,with the average number in use rangingfrom 2 among departments servingfewer than 100,000 residents, to 22among departments serving 250,000 to499,999 residents.


--Less than 0.5%.002Under 2,5000042,500-9,99900810,000-24,999--11225,000-49,999--31950,000-99,99931125100,000-249,999

245151250,000-499,999166457500,000-999,99944%88%69%1,000,000 or more

--1%5% All sizes

Air- planes

Heli- coptersBoats

Populationserved

Percent of agencies with —

Table 61. Off-land vehicles operatedby local police departments, by size ofpopulation served, 2003

--Less than 0.5%.--11Under 2,500--302,500-9,99914610,000-24,99945925,000-49,99997650,000-99,999

2694100,000-249,9995998250,000-499,9996894500,000-999,99975%100%1,000,000 or more

2%29% All sizes

HorsesDogsPercent of agencies with —Population

served

Table 62. Animals maintained by local police departments, by sizeof population served, 2003

*Excludes agencies that did not use video cameras in particular application.242122825152Under 2,5002758413557622,500-9,999210597239626810,000-24,999215413112715586725,000-49,999220519103025576950,000-99,9997328211628464773100,000-249,999

223113191143864368250,000-499,9991026123319381475173500,000-999,999329%3412%54835%3741%69%1,000,000 or more

38%411%814%755%60% All sizes

Average number*

Percent using

Average number*

Percent using

Average number*

Percent using

Average number*

Percent using

Mobile surveillance

Traffic enforcement

Fixed-site surveillanceIn patrol cars

Percent ofagenciesregularly usingvideo cameras

Populationserved

Percent of agencies using video cameras and the average number used

Table 63. Use of video cameras by local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

From 2000 to 2003 local police depart-ments in all population categoriesincreased their use of video cameras in patrol cars (figure 17). In jurisdictionswith a population of 250,000 or more,54% of departments were using themin 2003 compared to 34% in 2000. Theincreases in other categories were asfollows: 50,000 to 249,999 residents,from 46% to 61%, 10,000 to 49,999residents, from 42% to 54%, under10,000 residents, from 33% to 46%.

Special technologies

Twenty-three percent of local policedepartments, employing 50% of allofficers, used infrared (thermal)imagers on a regular basis (table 64).This included a majority of the depart-ments serving 50,000 or moreresidents.

Ten percent of departments, employ-ing 25% of all officers, used imageintensifiers. Laser range finders wereused regularly by 8% of all depart-ments, employing 28% of all officers.

Tire deflation spikes were usedregularly by 31% of all departments,employing 45% of all officers. Thisincluded a majority of the departmentsserving a population of 25,000 or more. Seven percent of departments,employing 38% of all officers, usedstolen vehicle tracking technology on a

regular basis. This included a majorityof the departments serving 250,000 ormore residents.

Electrical/engine disruption technologywas used by less than 0.5% of alldepartments and no more than 8% ofthe departments in any populationcategory. Such departments employed3% of all officers.

Nearly half (48%) of departments,employing 80% of all officers, regularlyused digital imaging technology formug shots. This included at least 80%of the departments in each populationcategory of 25,000 or more.

About a quarter (26%) of departments,employing 65% of all officers, regularlyused digital imaging technology forfingerprints. This included a majority ofthe departments serving 25,000 ormore residents.

A fifth of departments, employing 41%of all officers, used digital imagingtechnology for suspect composites. A majority of the departments serving25,000 to 999,999 residents used it forthis purpose.

Digital imaging technology for facialrecognition was used by 4% of localpolice departments, including 19% ofthose serving 1 million or moreresidents.


Figure 17

Under 10,000

10,000 - 49,999

50,000 - 249,999

250,000 or more

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Percent of agencies

Local police departments using videocameras in patrol cars, 2000 and 2003

2003

Population served

2000

--Less than 0.5%.261824--1161513Under 2,50031722550433710202,500-9,99973729731104312163410,000-24,99995555801216121184325,000-49,9999557183--315731195550,000-99,999662818554260262553100,000-249,999

1059858875666171754250,000-499,999559678786854243076500,000-999,999

19%44%81%88%6%69%50%44%25%69%1,000,000 or more

4%20%26%48%--%7%31%8%10%23% All sizes

Facialrecognition

Suspectcomposites

Finger-prints

Mug shots

Electrical/ engine disruption

Stolen vehicle tracking

Tire deflation spikes

Laser range finders

Image intensi- fiers

Infrared (thermal) imagers

Populationserved

Digital imagingVehicle stopping/trackingNight vision/electro-opticPercent of agencies using —

Table 64. Special technologies used by local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

Computers and information systems

Computer functions

Local police departments used comput-ers for a wide variety of functions in2003. For example, 77% of all depart-ments, employing 83% of all officers,used computers for Internet access(table 65). More than 3 times as manylocal police departments used comput-ers for Internet access in 2003 as in1997 (24%).

During 2003, 69% of all departments,employing 80% of all officers, usedcomputers for records management.Half of departments used computers for crime investigations. Those usingcomputers for crime investigationsemployed 71% of all officers.

Forty-five percent of departments,employing 64% of all officers, usedcomputers to maintain personnelrecords.

A third of local police departments usedcomputers to aid the dispatching ofcalls for service. A majority of depart-ments serving a population of 10,000 or more had computer-aided dispatch,and 72% of all local police officersworked for such a department.

Thirty-one percent of localdepartments, employing 53% of allofficers, used computers for inter-agency information sharing.

About a fifth of local police departmentsused computers for fleet management(21%) or automated booking (20%),and 10% used computers for resourceallocation.

In addition to these general uses ofcomputers, many departments usecomputers in an analytic capacity. Forexample, nearly half (46%) of depart-ments, employing 49% of officers, usedcomputers for the collection of data ontraffic stops (table 66).

Thirty-two percent of departments,employing 67% of all officers, usedcomputers for crime analysis. Thisincluded a majority of the departmentsserving 25,000 or more residents.

Nearly 3 in 10 departments, employing46% of officers, used computers forintelligence gathering in 2003. Thisincluded more than half of departmentsserving 25,000 or more residents.

In 2003, 19% of departments, includinga majority of those serving 50,000 ormore residents, used computers inconjunction with crime mapping.Departments using computers for crimemapping purposes employed 57% of allofficers.

Eleven percent of departments, includ-ing more than half of those serving apopulation of 100,000 or more, usedcomputers to identify crime hotspotsduring 2003. Departments usingcomputers for this purpose employed45% of all officers.


58919733345571Under 2,500719253535515476782,500-9,999

17373039665366848310,000-24,99927433751795973838525,000-49,99933504159856671859050,000-99,999424153578362758484100,000-249,999423954547863787878250,000-499,999483870517670707376500,000-999,99944%63%69%50%69%69%69%63%75%1,000,000 or more

10%20%21%31%33%45%50%69%77% All sizes

Resource allocation

Automated booking

Fleet management

Interagency informationsharing

Dispatch

Per- sonnel records

Crime investigations

Records management

Internet access

Populationserved

Percent of agencies using computers for —

Table 65. General functions of computers in local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

39191635Under 2,5008142831522,500-9,999

173037485810,000-24,999294150626425,000-49,999406149745050,000-99,9995474618249100,000-249,9996381618551250,000-499,9995467677857500,000-999,99956%69%50%69%56%1,000,000 or more

11%19%28%32%46% All sizes

Hotspotidentification

Crime mapping

Intelligencegathering

Crimeanalysis

Traffic stop data collection

Populationserved

Percent of agencies using computers for —

Table 66. Analytic functions of computers in local police departments,by size of population served, 2003

Computerized files

In 2003 a majority of local police depart-ments were maintaining computerizedfiles on incident reports (83%), arrests(76%), traffic citations (70%), calls forservice (68%), traffic accidents (67%),and stolen property (60%) (table 67). All of these types of information weremaintained in a computerized format by a majority of the departments in eachpopulation category of 2,500 or more.

Nearly half of all departmentsmaintained computerized files onwarrants (48%), traffic stops (48%),and alarms (45%), and more than athird maintained computerized criminalhistory files (36%) (table 68). A majorityof the departments in each populationcategory of 10,000 or more hadcomputerized files with these types ofinformation.

About 3 in 10 departments maintainedcomputerized information on use-of-force incidents (32%) and summonses(29%). A majority of the departmentsserving 50,000 or more residents hadcomputerized use-of-force files, andabout half of those serving 1 million ormore residents had computerizedsummonses information.

Ten percent of departments maintainedcomputer files on intelligence related toterrorism in 2003. This included about69% of the departments serving apopulation of 1,000,000 or more, and46% of those serving 500,000 to999,999 residents.

Overall, fewer than 1 in 10 departmentshad computerized files on fingerprints(9%), illegal attempts to purchasefirearms (5%), or biometric data for usein facial recognition (1%). However, amajority of the departments in jurisdic-tions with 100,000 or more residentshad computerized fingerprint files.

Less than half of local police officersworked for a department with computerfiles on fingerprints (49%), traffic stops(49%), use-of-force incidents (45%),intelligence related to terrorism (22%),illegal attempts to purchase firearms(7%), or biometric data for facial recog-nition (4%). A majority of officersworked for a department that hadcomputer files on all other types ofinformation included in the 2003LEMAS survey.


434947535872Under 2,5007077768187892,500-9,99975848785909210,000-24,99979889384949425,000-49,99977849577949050,000-99,999808492769194100,000-249,999687888688383250,000-499,999596286547684500,000-999,99981%69%81%75%88%88%1,000,000 or more

60%67%68%70%76%83% All sizes

Stolen property

Traffic accidents

Calls for service

Traffic citations

Arrests

Incidentreports

Population served

Percent of agencies maintainingcomputerized information files on —

Table 67. Types of computerized information files maintained by morethan half of local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

--Less than 0.5%.--424202217253134Under 2,50014693135425055522,500-9,99937161640375767656410,000-24,99928261943465978696725,000-49,99926392135515978616850,000-99,999295533365761766167100,000-249,999575432297163735956250,000-499,999386246386756705454500,000-999,999

13%25%69%69%50%69%69%69%75%69%1,000,000 or more

1%5%9%10%29%32%36%45%48%48% All sizes

Biometricdata forfacialrecognition

Illegalattempts topurchasefirearms

Finger- prints

Intelli-gencerelated toterrorism

Summ-onses

Use-of-force incidents

Criminal historiesAlarms

Trafficstops

Warrants

Population served

Percent of agencies maintainingcomputerized information files on —

Table 68. Types of computerized information files maintained by less than half of local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

Use of computers in the field

A majority (56%) of local police depart-ments used mobile computers or termi-nals in the field during 2003, includingmore than 80% of those serving 10,000or more residents (table 69). Depart-ments using infield computers or termi-nals employed 83% of all local policeofficers.

Forty-four percent of departments,employing 79% of all officers, usedvehicle-mounted computers in 2003.This included a majority of thoseserving 10,000 or more residents.

Vehicle-mounted laptop computerswere used by 30% of departments,employing 41% of all officers. Twentypercent of departments, employing43% of officers, used vehicle-mounteddigital/data terminals. Fifteen percentused vehicle-mounted digital/datacomputers.

Thirty-eight percent of departmentsemploying 57% of all officers, usedportable (not vehicle-mounted) comput-ers in 2003. This included a majority ofall departments serving 10,000 or moreresidents.

Portable laptops were the mostcommon type of infield computer, usedby 33% of all departments. Thesedepartments employed 50% of allofficers. Less common were personaldigital assistants (7%), portabledigital/data terminals (6%), andportable digital/data computers (5%).

The percentage of local police depart-ments using infield computers or termi-nals in 2003 (56%) was significantlylarger than in 2000 (40%), and it wasabout 11 times greater than in 1990(5%). Likewise, the 83% of local policeofficers working for a department withinfield computers or terminals in 2003

was higher than in 2000 (75%), andnearly 3 times that in 1990 (30%).

From 1990 to 2003 large increases inlocal police use of infield computersand terminals have occurred in jurisdic-tions of all sizes (figure 18). During thisperiod, infield computer use amongdepartments serving 250,000 or moreresidents increased from 56% to 98%;departments serving 50,000 to 249,999residents, from 31% to 94%; depart-ments serving 10,000 to 49,999residents, from 9% to 81%; and depart-ments serving fewer than 10,000residents, from 2% to 46%.


Under 10,000

10,000 - 49,999

50,000 - 249,999

250,000 or more


Local police departments using infieldcomputers or terminals, 1990 and 2003

2003

Population served

1990

2332023410202636Under 2,500477344014223143582,500-9,999910124754263243647810,000-24,999

1312205966444255838925,000-49,99998186068403445879350,000-99,999

10112152604826348896100,000-249,9991052454635424568595250,000-499,99911330496857333695100500,000-999,9996%31%38%63%69%31%69%31%100%100%1,000,000 or more

5%6%7%33%38%15%20%30%44%56% All sizes

Digital/ data computer

Digital/ data terminal

Personal digital assistant Laptop

Any type

Digital/ data computer

Digital/ data terminal

Laptop

Any type

Portable (not vehicle-mounted)Vehicle-mounted Any infieldcomputer orterminal

Populationserved

Percent of agencies using infield computers or terminals

Table 69. Types of infield computers or terminals used by local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

Figure 18

Thirty-three percent of local police depart-ments used infield computers or termi-nals for writing field reports during 2003(table 70). These departmentsemployed 34% of all officers. Eighteenpercent of departments used them forat least some infield communications.These departments employed 49% ofall officers.

In more than a third of local policedepartments, at least some officers inthe field could use computers toaccess vehicle records, drivingrecords, and warrants during 2003(table 71). This included a majority ofthe departments serving a populationof 10,000 or more residents. Depart-ments using infield computers for thesepurposes employed more than 70% ofall officers.

In 23% of departments, employing 37%of all officers, infield computers could be used for the purpose of interagencyinformation sharing. This included 63%of those departments serving a popula-tion of 250,000 to 499,999.

In 22% of departments, employing 43%of all officers, infield computers orterminals could be used to accesscriminal history information. Thisincluded a majority of the departmentsserving 100,000 or more residents, andmore than a third of those serving10,000 to 99,999 residents.

In 20% of departments, employing 39%of all officers, infield computers orterminals could be used to accessrepeat calls for service information.This included more than half of depart-ments serving a population of 25,000or more, and more than a quarter ofthose serving a population of 10,000 to 24,999.

The percentage of local police officersemployed by a department providinginfield computer access to informationhas been on the increase since 1997when LEMAS first began tracking thiscapability. Departments providingpatrol officers with infield computer

access to vehicle records employed78% of all officers in 2003 compared to 67% in 2000 and 56% in 1997(figure 19).

Other types of information and thepercentage of officers employed by adepartment providing infield accessduring 1997, 2000, and 2003 are asfollows: driving records C 51% in 1997,58% in 2000, and 71% in 2003; crimi-nal history records C 25% in 1997,29% in 2000, and 39% in 2003; callsfor service records C 23% in 1997,37% in 2000, and 39% in 2003.


Figure 19

429Under 2,50018312,500-9,999294310,000-24,999495025,000-49,999584350,000-99,9995942100,000-249,9996344250,000-499,9994835500,000-999,999

%63%61,000,000 or more

%18%33 All sizes

Communi-cations

Fieldreports

Populationserved

Percent of agencies using infield computers for C

Table 70. Use of infield computersfor reports and communicationsby local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

9131316182020Under 2,500182022313333372,500-9,9992736354151545710,000-24,9994940546172697725,000-49,9995439445975748250,000-99,99959504661837887100,000-249,99968566366908895250,000-499,99946544976958197500,000-999,999

%50%75%44%81%100%100%1001,000,000 or more

%20%22%23%30%35%35%38 All sizes

Calls forservicehistory

Criminalhistoryrecords

Interagencyinformationsystem

Protectionorders

Warr-ants

Drivingrecords

Vehiclerecords

Populationserved

Types of information accessible in the field

Table 71. Computerized information accessible to infield officers of local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

Prior calls for service

Criminal histories

Driving records

Vehicle records

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Percent of officers employed bya department providing access

2003Type of information

1997

Local police officers with infield computeraccess to information, 1997-2003

2000

Automated Fingerprint Identification

In 2003, 62% percent of local policedepartments, employing 88% ofofficers, had access to an AutomatedFingerprint Identification System (AFIS)that included a file of digitized prints(table 72). For 51% of agencies, thisaccess was through another agency.

Five percent of departments had exclu-sive ownership of an AFIS. Thisincluded a majority of the departmentsserving 500,000 or more residents.Three percent of all departments hadshared AFIS ownership. Four percentof departments, employing 13% of allofficers, used an AFIS terminal withaccess to a remote system.

Transmission of incident reports

In 2003, 55% of local police departmentsused paper reports as the primarymethod to transmit criminal incidentreports from the field to the agency’scentral information system (table 73).Computers and data devices wereused by 38%, and 5% used telephonelines or wireless systems.

From 1997 to 2003 use of paper reportsto transmit criminal incident reportsdeclined from 86% to 55%. During thesame period use of computer and datadevices increased from 9% to 38%, anduse of telephone and wireless methodsincreased from 4% to 5%.

From 2000 to 2003 an increase in theuse of electronic methods of reportsubmission was observed in all popula-tion categories (figure 20). This contin-ued the trend observed from 1997 to2000. Among departments serving250,000 or more residents, 33% usedelectronic methods in 2003, comparedto 22% in 2000 and 12% in 1997. Thepercentage of departments in otherpopulation categories using electronicmethods in 2003, 2000, and 1997 areas follows: 50,000 to 249,999 residents:36%, 21% 20%; 10,000 to 49,999residents: 54%, 33%, 12%; under10,000 residents, 43%, 23%, 12%.


Note: Detail may not add to total because of rounding. 5276598Under 2,500350471002,500-9,9995504510010,000-24,999

11404910025,000-49,99912236510050,000-99,999162262100100,000-249,999221068100250,000-499,999161371100500,000-999,99913%31% 56%100%1,000,000 or more

5%38%55%99% All sizes

Telephone/wireless

Computer/data device

Paper reportTotal

Populationserved

Primary transmission method

Table 73. Methods for transmitting criminal incident reports to the central information system in local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

Note: Detail may not sum to total because agencies could select more than one category.-- Less than 0.5%.

4412--47Under 2,50060211642,500-9,999588377410,000-24,99949147208725,000-49,99945169299550,000-99,9992225124297100,000-249,9991032223798250,000-499,99920191154100500,000-999,999

%6%19%31%56%1001,000,000 or more

%51%4%3%5%62 All sizes

Access through otheragency

Remote terminal access only

Shared owner

Exclusiveowner

Total withaccess

Population served

Percent of agencies with AFIS access

Table 72. Use of Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS) in local police departments, by size of population served, 2003

Figure 20

Under 10,000

10,000 - 49,999

50,000 - 249,999

250,000 or more

0% 20% 40% 60%Percent of agencies

Local police departments using electronic methods* for transmittingcriminal incident reports to a central information system, 1997-2003

2003

Population served

2000

*Includes computer medium, data device, telephone line, or wireless transmission.

1997

Methodology

The Law Enforcement Managementand Administrative Statistics (LEMAS)survey collects data from a nationallyrepresentative sample of publiclyfunded State and local law enforce-ment agencies in the United States.

This report presents data from the2003 survey describing local policedepartments in terms of theirpersonnel, expenditures and pay,operations, community policing initia-tives, equipment, computers and infor-mation systems, and written policies.

The 2003 LEMAS sample design calledfor the survey questionnaire to bemailed to 3,179 State and local lawenforcement agencies. Twenty-fiveagencies were determined to be out-of-scope for the survey because they hadclosed, outsourced their operations, orwere operating on a part-time basis,resulting in a final mailout total of 3,154agencies. The initial mailing of thequestionnaire was conducted inDecember 2003. The pay periodcontaining June 30, 2000 was used asthe reference date for all questions,unless otherwise noted.

Allowing for the exclusion of specialjurisdiction agencies and Texasconstables, 955 law enforcementagencies in the United States with 100or more sworn officers as of June 30,2000, were included in the sample asself-representing (SR) agencies. Thisincluded 574 local police departments,332 sheriffs’ offices, and the 49 primaryState law enforcement agencies.

The self-representing (SR) agencieswere supplemented by a nationallyrepresentative sample of agencies withfewer than 100 sworn personnel.These nonself-representing (NSR)agencies were chosen using a stratifiedrandom sample with cells based on thetype of agency (local police or sheriff),size of population served, and numberof sworn personnel. The 2,199 NSRagencies selected included 1,539 local

police departments and 660 sheriffs’offices.

A total of 2,859 agencies responded tothe LEMAS questionnaire for aresponse rate of 90.6%. This included904 SR agencies (94.7%) and 1,955NSR agencies (88.9%). The finaldatabase includes responses from1,947 local police departments, 863sheriffs’ offices, and the 49 primaryState law enforcement agencies. Theoverall response rate for local policedepartments was 92.1%, for sheriffs’offices, 87.0%, and for the State lawenforcement agencies, 100%.

The base weight for all SR agencies isone. For NSR sheriffs’ offices, it is four.For NSR local police departments, thebase weights are determined bynumber of sworn personnel employedas reported in the 2000 BJS Census ofState and Local Law EnforcementAgencies. For agencies with 0 to 6sworn officers, the base weight is15.55; for 7 to 13 officers, 9.65; for 14to 23 officers, 7.09; for 24 to 39officers, 4.95; for 40 to 62 officers,3.38; and for 63 to 99 officers, the baseweight is 2.14.

The final weight associated with everyagency, both SR and NSR, is theproduct of the base weight, a factorthat adjusted for changes in theuniverse since 2000, and a factor thatadjusted for any nonrespondingagencies in each cell.

The final weight for all SR local policeagencies is 1.034234, for SR sheriffs’offices it is 1.106667, and for the 49primary State law enforcementagencies, it is 1. For NSR sheriffs’offices the final weight is 4.847247. For NSR local police departments, thefinal weights are as follows: agencieswith 0 to 6 sworn officers, 20.355930; 7to 13 officers, 10.925000; 14 to 23officers, 7.707424; 24 to 39 officers,5.313808; 40 to 62 officers, 3.555024;and 63 to 99 officers, 2.216080.

Some responding agencies did not fullycomplete the LEMAS questionnaire.When an agency did not supply aresponse to an item, hot deck imputa-tion, median value imputation, or ratioimputation was used. Hot deck imputa-tion uses the value reported by arandomly selected agency from thesame sample cell. Median valueimputation uses the median value of anitem reported by agencies in the samesample cell. Ratio imputation uses themedian value of a ratio reported byagencies in the same sample cell.

Because the data from agencies withfewer than 100 sworn personnel werecollected from a sample, the results aresubject to sampling error. The surveydata are also subject to response andprocessing errors.


Documents

Local Police Department, 2003Local police departments with a written policy on racial profiling by officers, 2003 Under 10,000 10,000 - 49,999 50,000 - 249,999 250,000 or more 0% 20%