U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin Federal Law Enforcement Officers, 2002 July 2003, NCJ 199995 -------------------------------------------------------- This file is text only without graphics and many of the tables. A Zip archive of the tables in this report in spreadsheet format (.wk1) and the full report including tables and graphics in .pdf format are available from: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/fleo02.htm 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#fleo -------------------------------------------------------- By Brian A. Reaves, Ph.D. and Lynn M. Bauer BJS Statisticians ----------------------------------------------------- Highlights From June 2000 to June 2002, the number of Federal law enforcement officers increased 19% at ATF, 11% at Customs, and 8% at INS * Duties for Federal officers included criminal investigation (40%), police response and patrol (22%), corrections (18%), noncriminal investigation and inspection (14%), court operations (4%), and security and protection (1%). * Three-fifths of Federal officers were employed by the INS (19,101), Bureau of Prisons (14,305), Customs Service (11,634), or FBI (11,248). Ten other agencies employed at least 1,000 officers. * INS (1,447) had the largest increase in number of officers. Next was the Veterans Health Administration (1,263), which continued its program to expand firearm authority to its entire police force, followed by the Customs Service (1,112), and BOP (748). * Twenty-one States and the District of Columbia had more than 1,000 Federal officers. Texas (13,374) and California (12,315) had the largest number. New Hampshire (77) and Delaware (95) had the fewest. * Nationwide, there were 32 Federal officers per 100,000 residents. Outside the District of Columbia, which had 1,421 per 100,000, State ratios ranged from 79 per 100,000 in Arizona and New Mexico to 5 per 100,000 in Iowa. * Women accounted for 14.8% of Federal officers in 2002. Minority representation was 32.4% in 2002, up from 30.5% in 1998. Hispanic or Latino officers comprised 16.8% of officers in 2002, and African American or black officers, 11.7%. ----------------------------------------------- As of June 2002, Federal agencies employed more than 93,000 full-time personnel authorized to make arrests and carry firearms in the 50 States and the District of Columbia, according to a survey conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). Compared with June 2000, employment of such personnel increased by about 6%. The survey found that approximately 1,300 officers were employed in U.S. Territories as of June 2002. No data were obtained on Federal officers stationed in foreign countries. The officer counts include supervisory and nonsupervisory personnel with Federal arrest authority who were also authorized (but not necessarily required) to carry firearms while on duty. They exclude officers in the U.S. Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard). Because of classified information restrictions, Federal Air Marshals and CIA Security Protective Service officers are also excluded. Overall, 67 agencies are covered, including 28 offices of inspector general. The survey was conducted prior to the enactment of legislation creating the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). See page 5 for information on the effects of DHS on the organization of Federal law enforcement agencies. The largest number of Federal officers, about 37,700, performed duties related to criminal investigation and enforcement (40%). (See job function category definitions in the appendix at .) The next largest categories were police response and patrol with 20,500 (22%) and corrections with 16,900 (18%). About 12,800 officers performed duties related to noncriminal investigation and inspection (14%). Smaller numbers had duties related to court operations (4%) or security and protection (1%). Major employers of Federal officers Department of Justice agencies In June 2002 the largest employer of Federal officers with arrest and firearm authority in the United States was the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), with 19,101. (INS functions were moved to the Department of Homeland Security in 2003.) About half (9,830) of INS officers worked for the U.S. Border Patrol. The Border Patrol duties included the detection and prevention of smuggling and illegal entry of aliens into the United States, with primary responsibility between the ports of entry. Border Patrol officers worked along, and in the vicinity of, the 8,000 miles of U.S. boundaries. The INS employed 4,529 immigration inspectors with arrest and firearm authority at ports of entry. These officers are included in the noncriminal investigation and inspection category. INS also employed 2,139 criminal investigators and immigration agents responsible for investigating crimes under INS jurisdiction and 2,603 officers with detention and deportation duties. The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), the second largest employer of Federal officers, employed 14,305 correctional officers maintaining the security of BOP institutions and the 139,000 inmates in custody. Their duties include supervising inmates, searching for contraband, and responding to emergencies and disturbances. (See Methodological note #1 at .) The FBI had 11,248 full-time personnel with arrest and firearm authority. Nearly all were FBI special agents, responsible for criminal investigation and enforcement. The FBI investigates more than 200 categories of Federal crimes including bank fraud, embezzlement, kidnaping, and civil rights violations. It also has concurrent jurisdiction with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) over drug offenses under the Controlled Substances Act. The DEA had 4,020 employees with arrest and firearm authority as of June 2002. These special agents investigate major narcotics violators, enforce regulations governing the manufacture and dispensing of controlled substances, and perform other functions to prevent and control drug trafficking. The U.S. Marshals Service, employed 2,646 officers with arrest and firearm authority. The Marshals Service receives all persons arrested by Federal agencies and is responsible for their custody and transportation until sentencing. With BOP assistance, it transfers sentenced Federal inmates between facilities. The Marshals Service also has jurisdiction over Federal fugitive matters concerning escaped prisoners, probation and parole violators, persons under DEA warrants, and defendants released on bond. The agency makes more than half of all Federal fugitive arrests. Other Marshals Service responsibilities include managing the Federal Witness Security and Federal Asset Seizure and Forfeiture Programs, and security for Federal judicial facilities and personnel. Treasury Department agencies The U.S. Customs Service employed 11,634 officers with arrest and firearm authority, the most of any agency in the Department of the Treasury. This included 8,167 inspectors and 3,467 criminal investigators. Customs Service officers interdict and seize contraband, process persons, vehicles, and items at more than 300 ports of entry, and administer certain navigational laws. The Customs Service has an extensive air, land, and marine interdiction force as well as an investigations component supported by its own intelligence branch. Customs investigates violations of more than 400 laws related to customs, drugs, export control, and revenue fraud. Like the INS, the Customs Service became part of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003. The next largest employer, the U.S. Secret Service, had 4,256 personnel authorized to make arrests and carry firearms. About two-thirds were special agents with investigation and enforcement duties primarily related to counterfeiting, financial crimes, computer fraud, and threats against dignitaries. Most other Secret Service officers were in the Uniformed Division. These officers provide protection for the White House complex and other Presidential offices, the Main Treasury Building and Annex, the President and Vice President and their immediate families, and foreign diplomatic missions. In 2003 the Secret Service was moved to the Department of Homeland Security. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), employed 2,855 special agents with arrest and firearm authority within its Criminal Investigation Division, the law enforcement arm of the IRS charged with enforcing the Nation's tax laws. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), employed 2,335 full-time officers with arrest and firearm authority. ATF enforces Federal laws related to alcohol, tobacco, firearms, explosives, and arson. In 2003 ATF became a Justice Department agency. Other agencies with 500 or more officers As of June 2002, the Federal Corrections and Supervision Division of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts employed approximately 4,500 probation officers, all of whom have arrest authority. (See the box below). A total of 4,090 were employed in districts where the court authorizes officers to carry firearms while on duty. About three-fifths of the 3,135 officers in the U.S. Postal Inspection Service were postal inspectors, responsible for criminal investigations covering more than 200 Federal statutes related to the postal system. The others were postal police officers who provide security for postal facilities, employees, and assets, and who escort high-value mail shipments. The National Park Service employed 2,139 full-time personnel with arrest and firearm authority in June 2002. This included 1,549 park rangers commissioned as law enforcement officers. Additional rangers serving seasonally were also commissioned officers but were considered part-time and excluded from the BJS survey. The Park Service total also includes 590 U.S. park police officers. These officers work mostly in the Washington, D.C., area, but are authorized to provide police services for the entire National Park System. The Veteran's Health Administration (VHA) employed 1,605 officers with arrest and firearm authority as of June 2002. This was nearly 5 times as many as in 2000 as the VHA continued its program to expand firearm authority to its entire force. The VHA employs about 2,400 police officers with arrest authority at its 173 medical centers. --------------------------------------------- Federal probation and pretrial services officers As of June 2002, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts employed 4,516 probation officers and 673 pre-trial services officers. These officers are employees of the U.S. district court and are appointed by the judge they serve. They are supervised by the chief probation officer or chief pretrial services officer in their district. Federal probation officers supervise offenders placed on probation and supervised release. They also conduct presentence investigations to assess the risk to the community of future criminal behavior, the harm caused by the offense, the need for restitution, and the defendant's ability to pay restitution. Probation officers have statutory authority to arrest supervisees for a violation; however, under existing policy, they are encouraged to obtain an arrest warrant from the court, which is executed by the Marshals Service. Federal pretrial services officers investigate defendants charged with an offense and submit reports to the court with recommendations for conditional release or pretrial detention. They also supervise defendants released to their custody and monitor compliance with release conditions the court imposes. Pretrial officers do not have statutory authority to make arrests. They are required to inform the court and the U.S. attorney of violations which may result in the issuance of an arrest warrant, which the U.S. Marshals Service executes. If it is allowed in their Federal judicial district, probation officers and pretrial services officers may carry a firearm for defensive purposes while on duty. Before doing so, they must complete rigorous training and certification requirements, provide objective justification, and be approved to do so on an individual basis. The following districts do not allow any officers to carry a firearm while on duty: California, Central Connecticut Massachusetts Tennessee, Middle Virgin Islands Virginia, Eastern Wisconsin, Eastern Wisconsin, Western -------------------------------------------------- The U.S. Capitol Police employed 1,225 officers to provide police services for the U.S. Capitol grounds and buildings. In 1992 Congress granted the Capitol Police full law enforcement authority in an extended jurisdiction zone covering the area immediately surrounding the Capitol complex. The Interior Department's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employed 772 full-time personnel with arrest and firearm authority. Nearly 3 in 4 were refuge officers, with duties related to patrol and enforcement of Federal wildlife conservation and environmental laws in the National Wildlife Refuge system. The others were special agents, who investigate violations of Federal wildlife protection laws and treaties. The General Services Administration (GSA)employed 744 officers in its Federal Protective Service (FPS). These officers perform security, patrol, and investigative duties related to Federal buildings and property, and the employees and visitors using them. In 2003 the FPS was transferred to the Department of Homeland Security. The USDA Forest Service employed 658 officers for police response and patrol, and criminal investigation duties related to National Forest System lands, facilities, and users. The State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security employed 592 officers with the primary function of protecting visiting dignitaries. The agency's special agents also investigate passport and visa fraud and threats against foreign missions in the United States, foreign dignitaries, or Federal employees. Agencies employing at least 100 but fewer than 500 Federal officers Agencies with 500 or more officers employed about 87,000, or 93%, of the Federal officers covered by the BJS survey. Excluding offices of inspector general, 12 additional Federal agencies employed at least 100 personnel with arrest and firearm authority. The U.S. Mint, a bureau of the Treasury Department, employed 375 officers within its Police Division as of June 2002. These officers provide police and patrol services for U.S. Mint facilities, including safeguarding the Nation's coinage and gold bullion reserves. The Interior Department's Bureau of Indian Affairs employed 334 officers to provide police services in Indian country. Many tribal governments also operate their own police departments. (See Tribal Law Enforcement, 2000, .) The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, better known as Amtrak, employed 327 full-time officers within its Police Division. These officers provide police response and patrol, and investigative services for the national railroad system. The Department of Defense (DOD)employed 327 officers in its Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA). The PFPA, formerly the Defense Protective Service (DPS), was established in May 2002 to expand the DPS mission of basic law enforcement and security to provide force protection against the full spectrum of potential threats through prevention, preparedness, detection, and response measures. The PFPA provides services to the 280-acre "Pentagon Reservation" and numerous other DOD activities and facilities in the National Capital Region. To meet its new requirements, the PFPA is expected to expand to more than double the size of its predecessor. The Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) employed 235 officers with arrest and firearm authority. Three-fourths were BLM rangers, providing police response and patrol services, and a fourth were criminal investigators. BLM manages 264 million acres of surface lands and 300 million acres of below ground mineral estate. The Environmental Protection Agency employed 220 special agents with arrest and firearm authority within its Criminal Investigation Division. These officers investigate violations of the Nation's environmental laws. The Department of Energy employed 212 personnel with arrest and firearm authority in its Transportation Safeguards Division. These nuclear materials couriers protect nuclear weapon shipments from the manufacturer to designated locations. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), employed 197 personnel with arrest and firearm authority. TVA police officers provide patrol and investigative services for TVA employees and properties, and the users of TVA recreational facilities. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) employed 195 officers to provide police services for BEP facilities including those where currency, stamps, securities, and other official U.S. documents are made. The Food and Drug Administration employed 162 criminal investigators with arrest and firearm authority. These officers investigate violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and other public health laws. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service employed 137 officers with arrest and firearm authority. These special agents enforce Federal laws and regulations that protect the Nation's living marine resources. The Library of Congress employed 127 officers on its police force to provide law enforcement services in the library's buildings, protect staff and patrons, and assist in the protection of the library's property and collections. ---------------------------------------------- Federal Law Enforcement and the Homeland Security Act of 2002 On November 25, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the Homeland Security Act, creating the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a new Cabinet- level Department that will plan, coordinate, and integrate U.S. Government activities related to homeland security. The legislation creates a new Office of Inspector General, and transfers all or part of 22 existing agencies to DHS. (For more information, see the DHS website, .) Most transfers had occurred by March 1, 2003, with full integration during the following months. Several agencies employing officers with arrest and firearm authority are now part of DHS. The following are transferred as distinct entities reporting directly to the DHS secretary: U.S. Coast Guard -- Transferred from the Department of Transportation. In times of war, or on direction of the President, the Coast Guard will still be attached to the Department of Defense, U.S. Navy. U.S. Secret Service -- Transferred from the Department of the Treasury. In addition to agencies or components that report directly to the Secretary, DHS includes five Directorates: Border and Transportation Security, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Information Analysis and Infrastructure, Science and Technology, and Management. The Directorate of Border and Transportation Security includes the following: Federal Law Enforcement Training Center - transferred from the Department of the Treasury. Federal Protective Service - transferred from the General Services Administration. U.S. Customs Service (except for some revenue functions)- transferred from the Department of the Treasury. Immigration and Naturalization Service - The INS is terminated, and its functions are transferred from the Department of Justice. Transportation Security Administration (TSA)- TSA, which was created in November 2001 and includes the Federal Air Marshals program, is transferred from the Department of Transportation. The Directorate of Border and Transportation Security will include two major new bureaus with law enforcement duties: The Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), with about 30,000 employees, will primarily perform border protection and inspections functions. It combines Customs Service and INS inspection services, the Border Patrol, and the Agricultural Quarantine Inspection program. CBP is directed by the Customs commissioner. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement(BICE) will enforce immigration and customs laws within the U.S. interior. Its 14,000 employees are comprised primarily of Customs Service and INS special agents, INS detention and deportation officers, the INS Immigration Litigation Section, and Federal Protective Service (FPS) employees. Customs air and marine interdiction functions, and intelligence components of INS, Customs, and FPS are also included. Immigration and citizenship services formerly handled by the INS will reside with the new Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS). BCIS will report directly to the DHS Deputy Secretary. The Directorate for Emergency and Preparedness Response includes: Federal Emergency Management Agency (formerly independent). Also affected by the Homeland Security Act: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) -- Law enforcement functions transferred from the Department of the Treasury to the Justice Department. Revenue functions remain at Treasury. Legislation incorporates the Safe Explosives Act, creating new ATF enforcement powers related to explosives. The agency name has changed to Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, though ATF initials will still be used. As of June 2002, agencies in the Justice (55%) and Treasury (23%) Departments were the largest employers of Federal officers with arrest and firearm authority; however, the Homeland Security Act made the Departments of Homeland Security (38%) and Justice (37%) the major employers in 2003 ---------------------------------------------- Offices of inspector general Twenty-eight of the 57 statutory Federal offices of inspector general (IG) employed criminal investigators with arrest and firearm authority in June 2002. Overall, these agencies employed 2,860 such officers. Offices of inspector general investigate criminal violations and prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse related to Federal programs, operations, and employees. For links to various IG offices' Internet homepages and a description of their duties go to . As of June 2002, the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services (436) was the largest IG employer of Federal officers with arrest and firearm authority. Next largest was the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), with 358 officers. After TIGTA, the largest IG offices were in the Department of Defense (321), the Social Security Administration (270), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (211), and the Department of Agriculture (201). Overall, 24.6% of IG investigators with arrest and firearm authority were women, and 21.7% were members of a racial or ethnic minority. African Americans or blacks (10.4%) comprised the largest minority percentage followed by Hispanics or Latinos (8.0%) and Asians or Pacific Islanders (2.9%). Among IG offices employing 35 or more investigators, the EPA (31.4%) and Departments of Education (29.7%) and Agriculture (29.4%) had the highest proportion of women. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (13.0%)had the lowest female percentage. The Department of Education (35.4%) had the largest minority percentage, followed by Interior (32.7%), GSA (32.1%), and HUD (30.2%). National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (10.0%) had the smallest percentage. Gender and race of Federal officers Data on gender and race were available for 96% of Federal officers with arrest and firearm authority. Women accounted for 14.8% of officers overall. Among agencies with 500 or more officers, the IRS (28.0%) employed the largest percentage of women. Other agencies where at least a sixth of the officers were women included the USDA Forest Service (21.9%), U.S. Capitol Police (18.8%), U.S. Customs Service (18.6%), FBI (18.0%), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (17.7%), and the National Park Service, Ranger Activities Division (16.9%). Fewer than 1 in 10 officers were women in the DEA (8.6%), Veterans Health Administration (8.6%), Federal Protective Service (9.3%), Bureau of Diplomatic Security (9.6%), and U.S. Secret Service (9.7%). Nearly 1 in 3 officers were members of a racial or ethnic minority (32.4%). Hispanics or Latinos accounted for 16.8%, non-Hispanic blacks, 11.7%, Asians or Pacific Islanders, 2.5%, and American Indians, 1.2%. Among agencies with at least 500 officers, INS (46.7%) had the largestminority percentage. About two-fifths of the officers at the Veterans Health Administration (40.8%), the Federal Protective Service (40.3%), and the Bureau of Prisons (40.0%) were members of a racial or ethnic minority. The next largest minority percentages were at the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (37.2%), U.S. Customs Service (36.4%), and U.S. Capitol Police (33.0%). The lowest percentages were at the National Park Service, Ranger Activities Division (9.9%), and the Fish and Wildlife Service (12.0%). The INS (38.1%) and Customs Service (24.7%) employed the highest percentage of Hispanic officers. The highest percentages of black officers were at the Federal Protective Service (30.4%), U.S. Capitol Police (29.0%), VHA (28.3%), BOP (24.9%), and Postal Inspection Service (23.2%). The Forest Service (7.1%) employed the highest percentage of American Indians followed by the Fish and Wildlife Service (3.6%). The IRS (4.4%), Postal Inspection Service (4.2%), Customs Service (3.7%), and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security (3.7%) had the most Asians and Pacific Islanders. States where Federal officers worked About half of all Federal officers with arrest and firearm authority were employed in Texas (13,374), California (12,315), the District of Columbia (8,114), New York (7,202), or Florida (5,963). These jurisdictions accounted for 52% of the 58,164 full-time Federal officers who primarily performed patrol or criminal investigation functions. Other States with at least 2,000 Federal officers included Arizona (4,292), Pennsylvania (3,282), Virginia (3,271), Illinois (2,766), Georgia (2,298), and New Jersey (2,285). Eleven other States had at least 1,000 officers: Michigan (1,699), Washington (1,614), New Mexico (1,473), Colorado (1,462), Louisiana (1,460), Massachusetts (1,382), Maryland (1,353), Missouri (1,250), Ohio (1,216), North Carolina (1,196), and Tennessee (1,038). New Hampshire (77) had the smallest number of full-time Federal officers, followed by Delaware (95), Wyoming (109), Rhode Island (113), Iowa (158), and South Dakota (210). Overall, Federal agencies employed 32 officers with arrest and firearm authority per 100,000 residents. The District of Columbia, the location of many agency headquarters, employed the most, 1,421 per 100,000. States with at least 50 officers per 100,000 residents included Arizona (79), New Mexico (79), Texas (61), Alaska (59), Hawaii (54), and Vermont (52). In addition to the District of Columbia (1,241), 6 States had for every 100,000 residents at least 25 Federal officers performing patrol and investigative functions: Arizona (56), New Mexico (50), Alaska (42), Texas (37), Virginia (34), and Montana (27). Three States had fewer than 10 Federal officers per 100,000 residents: Iowa (5), New Hampshire (6), and Wisconsin (8). Fourteen States had fewer than 10 officers per 100,000 residents performing patrol and investigative functions. The lowest ratios were in Iowa (4), New Hampshire (4), Kansas (5), and Wisconsin (5). The INS employed two-thirds of its officers in Texas (31%), California (24%), and Arizona (12%). These three States accounted for 89% of Border Patrol officers, with another 6% in New Mexico. Approximately 4% of Border Patrol officers were in the 11 States bordering Canada. More than a third of Federal Bureau of Prisons correctional officers were employed in Texas (11%), California (9%), Pennsylvania (9%), and Florida (8%). The U.S. Customs Service employed more than a third of its officers in Texas (20%) and California (16%). Next highest were Florida (12%) and New York (10%). California (12%), the District of Columbia (12%), and New York (11%) accounted for more than a third of FBI agents. Other major States of employment included Texas (7%), Virginia (7%), and Florida (6%). The DEA based more than half its agents in Texas (14%), California (13%), Virginia (12%), Florida (9%), and New York (9%). More than a third of Federal probation officers with arrest and firearm authority were in Texas (14%), New York (8%), Florida (8%), or California (6%). About 3 in 10 Postal Inspection Service officers were in New York (17%) and California (12%). The District of Columbia and Pennsylvania had 7% each, followed by Texas and New Jersey with 6% each. About 3 in 10 IRS criminal investigators were based in California (12%), New York (9%), and Texas (8%). Florida and Georgia had 7% each. The U.S. Marshals Service had the largest percentage of its officers based in Texas (8%) and New York (8%), followed by California (7%), Florida (6%), and the District of Columbia (6%). The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms based about a fourth of its agents in the District of Columbia (8%), California (8%), and Texas (8%). Florida was next with 6%. The largest number of National Park Service personnel with arrest and firearm authority were in the District of Columbia (22%) and California (11%). Most of those in the District were employed by the U.S. Park Police, which had 79% of its 590 officers there. The Veterans Health Administration had the largest number of its police officers with arrest and firearm authority in New York (10%), California (8%), and Florida (7%). Texas, Illinois, and Missouri had 6% each. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employed 7% of its personnel with arrest and firearm authority in Alaska. Next highest were California, Texas, and Florida with 5% each. Trends in employment of Federal officers, 1996 - 2002 Among agencies included in the BJS survey, the number of Federal officers with arrest and firearm authority grew by about 19,000, or 26%, from June 1996 to June 2002. From June 2000 to June 2002, the number of officers increased by about 5,000, or 6%. INS added the most officers, going from 12,403 officers in 1996 to 19,101 officers in 2002, a 54% increase. ***Footnote 1: From 2001 to 2002 the Transportation Security Administration conducted a major expansion of the Federal Air Marshals program, training and hiring thousands of offices to provide security on commercial airline flights. They are not included in the BJS survey because of classified information restrictions.*** This included a 81% increase in Border Patrol officers, from 5,441 to 9,830. Other large agencies with increases during this period include DEA (from 2,946 to 4,020, 36%), Secret Service (from 3,185 to 4,256, 34%), Bureau of Prisons (from 11,329 to 14,305, 26%), ATF (from 1,869 to 2,335, 25%), Customs Service (from 9,749 to 11,634, 19%), and the FBI (10,389 to 11,243, 8%). IRS Criminal Investigation experienced the largest decrease -- from 3,371 officers in 1996 to 2,855 in 2002, a 15% drop. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service reported a decrease from 3,576 to 3,135, a 12% drop, and the Fish and Wildlife Service reported a decrease of 11%, from 869 to 772. Gender and race From 1996 to 2002 the percentage of female Federal officers with arrest and firearm authority increased from 13.7% to 14.8%. During this time minority representation rose from 28% to 32.4%, including a rise in the percentage of Hispanic officers from 13.1% to 16.8%, and in black officers from 11.3% to 11.7%. The largest increases in female officers occurred at the IRS (from 23.5% to 28%), Postal Inspection Service (14.1% to 17.7%), and FBI (14.5% to 18%). The largest increases in the percentage of minority officers were at the Customs Service (28.9% to 36.4%), INS (41.3% to 46.7%), BOP (35.6% to 40%), IRS (17.9% to 22.1%), and the Postal Inspection Service (33.4% to 37.2%). --------------------------------------- Training for Federal officers A majority of Federal officers receive some or all of their training through the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC). Among the exceptions are special agents with the FBI and DEA, who complete basic training at their respective academies in Quantico, Virginia. FLETC, a bureau of the Treasury Department at the time of the 2002 BJS survey, became a part of the Department of Homeland Security during 2003. It serves more than 70 Federal agencies, as well as State, local, and international law enforcement communities. FLETC has an annual budget of nearly $200 million. About half of FLETC training instructors are permanent employees. The remainder are Federal officers on short- term assignment from participating agencies. The basic training requirements for Federal officers varied by agency and by position within agencies. Overall, FLETC offers more than 100 different agency-specific training programs. Among major employers, classroom training for criminal investigators ranged from about 8 weeks to 22 weeks. For patrol officers, classroom training ranged from 4 weeks to 26 weeks. Field training requirements ranged from 2 weeks to 6 months for patrol officers, and as long as 2 years for investigators. During fiscal year 1970, its first year of operation, FLETC graduated 848 students. In its first full year of operations at its current headquarters location at Glynco, Georgia, more than 5,000 graduated. In fiscal year 2002, more than 32,000 graduated, including about 2,600 State and local officers. In fiscal year 2002, 69%, or 22,000, of FLETC graduates attended training at Glynco. The FLETC Office of Artesia Operations (OAO) in New Mexico graduated about 6,000 students. OAO was established in 1990 to provide training for agencies that have large numbers of officers in the western United States such as INS and BOP. OAO also provides training for Federal Air Marshals, and was impacted greatly by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, as the number of such personnel trained went from four in the year before the attacks to about 5,000 in the year following. In 1995 a temporary FLETC satellite training campus was established in Charleston, South Carolina, to train INS and Border Patrol officers as these forces expanded. This facility had 959 graduates during fiscal year 2002. A fourth training facility is under development in Cheltenham, Maryland, and will be used principally for in-service and re-qualification training for officers and agents in the Washington, D.C., area. It is also the new permanent home of the U.S. Capitol Police Training Academy. The FLETC also provides a wide range of training courses at export training sites around the country, as well as at foreign training sites. During fiscal year 2002 Federal agencies with 500 or more FLETC graduates included the Customs Service, 5,529; INS, 5,239; TSA, 4,997; BOP, 2,978; IRS, 1,225; Secret Service, 989; Marshals Service, 979; and ATF, 721. The INS logged about 53,000 student hours of FLETC training, nearly twice as many hours as the next highest total of 28,521, for the U.S. Customs Service. ------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------ The Bureau of Justice Statistics is the statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. Lawrence A. Greenfeld is director. BJS Bulletins present the first release of findings from permanent data collection programs. Some of the descriptive information regarding agency functions was compiled from agency web sites. Brian Reaves and Lynn Bauer wrote this Bulletin. Keonna Feaster assisted with data collection. Tom Hester edited the report. Jayne Robinson prepared it for printing. August 2003, NCJ 199995 ------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------- Please visit the BJS website at for Job function definitions, Methodological notes, and appendix tables belonging to this report. Tables include the following: * number of Federal officers with arrest and firearm authority, by selected agencies and by State * Federal law enforcement officers killed or assaulted, 1997-2001 * web addresses of Federal agencies employing officers * Federal personnel with arrest and firearm authority in U.S. Territories, by agency and function. ------------------------------------------ End of file 08/06/03 ih