U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics Local Police Departments, 2003 May 2006, NCJ 210118 ---------------------------------------------------------- This file is text only without graphics and many of the tables. A Zip archive of the tables in this report in spreadsheet format (.csv) and the full report including tables and graphics in .pdf format are available from: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/lpd03.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#lpd ---------------------------------------------------------- Matthew J. Hickman, Ph.D. and Brian A. Reaves, Ph.D. BJS Statisticians Jeffrey L. Sedgwick Director Matthew J. Hickman and Brian A. Reaves prepared this report. Carolyn C. Williams provided editorial review. The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) provided partial funding for the 2003 LEMAS survey. Debra Cohen and Matthew Scheider of the COPS office assisted with questionnaire development. More information on the COPS office can be obtained at their website . Data were collected and processed by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) under the supervision of Lorie Fridell. PERF project staff included Bruce Kubu and Nathan Ballard. Additional information on PERF is available on the Internet at: . Data presented in this report may be obtained from the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data at the University of Michigan, 1-800-999- 0960. The report and data are available on the Internet at: . Highlights The LEMAS survey Personnel Budget and pay Operations Community policing Policies and procedures Equipment Computers and information systems Methodology --------------------------------------------- Highlights Personnel * As of June 2003 local police departments had about 581,000 full-time employees, including about 452,000 sworn personnel. There were about 11,000 more sworn and 4,000 more nonsworn employees than in 2000. * Racial and ethnic minorities comprised 23.6% of full-time sworn personnel in 2003, up from 22.6% in 2000, and 14.6% in 1987. Women comprised 11.3% of officers in 2003, up from 10.6% in 2000, and 7.6% in 1987. * From 2000 to 2003 the number of black or African American local police officers increased by 1,500, or 3%; Hispanic or Latino officers by 4,700, or 13%; officers from other minority groups by 850, or 7%, and female officers by 4,400, or 9%. * Sixty-one percent of departments had officer separations during the 12-month period ending June 30, 2003. Overall, about 32,100 officers separated, including 16,100 resignations, 9,400 retirements, and 2,600 dismissals. * Sixty percent of departments hired new officers during the 12-month period ending June 30, 2003. Overall, about 34,500 officers were hired, including 28,800 entry-level hires, and 5,300 lateral transfers/hires. * During the 12-month period ending June 30, 2003, 21% of local police departments had full-time sworn personnel called-up as full- time military reservists. Overall, about 7,500 officers were called up. Budget and pay * Departments had total operating budgets of $43.3 billion during fiscal 2003, 10% more than in 2000 after adjusting for inflation. Operating expenditures in 2003 averaged $93,300 per sworn officer, and $200 per resident. * In 2003 starting salaries for local police officers ranged from an average of about $23,400 in the smallest jurisdictions to about $37,700 in the largest. Operations * Fifty-nine percent of departments, including more than 75% of those serving 250,000 or more residents, used foot patrol routinely. An estimated 38%, including more than 95% of those serving 500,000 or more residents, used bicycle patrol on a regular basis. * In 2003, 92% of local police departments, employing 98% of all officers, participated in a 9-1-1 emergency system compared to 32% and 60% in 1987. In 2003, 73% of departments, employing 90% of all officers, had enhanced 9-1-1, compared to 7% and 26% in 1987. * Eighteen percent of departments had officers assigned full time to a special unit for drug enforcement, with about 12,000 officers assigned nationwide. Nearly a quarter of departments had officers assigned to a multi-agency drug task force, with about 6,000 officers assigned full time nationwide. * Twenty-seven percent of local police departments were responsible for providing court security, 18% for serving civil process, and 9% for operating a jail. * Thirty-six percent of departments had drug asset forfeiture receipts during 2002, including more than 80% of those serving 25,000 or more residents. Nationwide, receipts totaled about $298 million, or $642 per officer. Community policing * Fourteen percent of local police departments, employing 44% of all officers, maintained or created a written community policing plan during the 12-month period ending June 30, 2003. * Nearly half (47%) of departments, employing 73% of all officers, had a mission statement that included some aspect of community policing. * Fifty-eight percent of all departments, employing 82% of all officers, used full- time community policing officers during 2003. Collectively, there were about 54,800 local police officers so designated. * Thirty-one percent of departments, employing 67% of all officers, trained all new officer recruits in community policing. This included more than 3 in 4 departments serving a population of 100,000 or more. * Sixty percent of departments, including more than 80% of those serving 25,000 or more residents, had problem-solving partnerships or written agreements with community groups, local agencies, or others during the 12-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 employed about 14,300 such officers. Policies and procedures * Nearly all departments had a written policy on pursuit driving. Three-fifths restricted vehicle pursuits according to specific criteria such as speed or offense. About a fourth had a policy that left the decision to the officer's discretion, and 6% discouraged all vehicle pursuits. * Ninety-five percent of departments, employing 99% of all officers, had a written policy on the use of deadly force. Ninety percent, employing 97% of all officers, had a policy on the use of nonlethal force. * Sixty-two percent of departments had written policies about racial profiling by officers. This included about 9 in 10 agencies serving populations of 250,000 or more residents. * Thirty-nine percent of departments had a written plan specifying actions to be taken in the event of a terrorist attack. This included a majority of departments serving 10,000 or more residents. * Eighty-four percent of departments, employing 95% of officers, had written policies or procedures for handling juveniles; 59%, employing 81% of officers, for responding to the mentally ill; and 27%, employing 42% of officers, for interacting with homeless persons. Equipment * In 2003 the .40-caliber semiautomatic was the most commonly authorized sidearm, with 62% of departments authorizing its use by officers. * An estimated 99% of departments authorized use of chemical agents such as pepper spray during 2003, up from 51% in 1990. * In 2003, 74% of local police officers were employed by a department that required at least some field officers to wear protective body armor while on duty, compared to 30% in 1990. * Nationwide, local police departments in 2003 operated an estimated 242,700 cars, or about 1 car for every 2 officers employed. About a third of these cars were unmarked. * Nearly 1 in 3 departments used dogs for law enforcement work, including more than 90% of those serving 100,000 or more residents. About 2% used horses, including most of those serving 250,000 or more residents. * Fifty-five percent of departments regularly used video cameras in patrol cars during 2003, compared to 37% in 2000. There were about 49,000 in-car cameras in use during 2003. Eleven percent of departments operated traffic enforcement cameras during 2003. Computers and information systems * From 1990 to 2003 the percentage of local police departments using infield computers increased from 5% to 56%. Departments using infield computers employed 83% of all officers in 2003, up from 30% in 1990. * From 2000 to 2003 the percent of local police officers employed by a department with infield computer access to vehicle records increased from 67% to 78%. The percent employed by a department with infield computer access to criminal history records rose from 29% to 39%. * In 2003, 55% of departments used paper reports as the primary means to transmit criminal incident field data to a central information system, down from 86% in 1997. During the same time period, use of computer and data devices increased from 9% to 38%. ------------------------------------------------ The LEMAS survey During 2003 the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), as part of its Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics(LEMAS) program, surveyed a nationally representative sample of State and local law enforcement agencies operating nationwide. Previous LEMAS surveys were conducted in 1987, 1990, 1993, 1997, 1999 (limited scope), and 2000. This report presents data from the 2003 survey describing the nearly 13,000 local police departments operating in the United States in terms of their personnel, expenditures and pay, operations, community policing initiatives, written policies and procedures, computers and information systems, and equipment. Comparisons are made with prior years where appropriate. The LEMAS survey sample is selected from a periodic census of all State and local law enforcement agencies operating in the United States. According to the most recent census, conducted in 2000, nearly all local police departments are operated by municipal (85%) or township (13%) governments. A total of 171 local police departments were operated by tribal governments, and 52 by county governments. The 2003 LEMAS survey questionnaire was mailed to 3,154 State and local law enforcement agencies, including 955 agencies with 100 or more sworn officers (see Methodology for a description of the sample). The overall response rate was 91%. This report and its companion report, Sheriffs' Offices 2003, summarize data collected from agencies of all sizes. Agency level data for agencies with 100 or more officers are published in Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, 2003. Personnel As of June 30, 2003 local police departments had an estimated 580,749 full-time employees. Approximately 452,000, or 78%, of full-time local police employees were sworn personnel (those with general arrest powers). Local police departments also employed about 51,000 persons on a part-time basis. About half of the part-time employees were sworn officers. Local police departments employed 67% of full-time sworn officers working for State and local general purpose law enforcement agencies nationwide. Their 129,013 full-time civilian employees comprised 42% of nonsworn State and local law enforcement employees. From 1987 (the first year of the LEMAS survey) to 2003, local police employment increased by about 135,000, or 27% -- an average of 1.7% annually. The number of full-time sworn officers increased by about 96,400, or 30%, during this period. There were about 14,800 more full-time local police employees in 2003 than in 2000, an increase of 2.6%, or just under 1% annually. When only sworn personnel are considered, employment by local police departments increased by about 10,800, or 2.5%, from 2000 to 2003. From 1987 to 2003 the number of full-time civilian local police employees increased from 90,622 to 129,013, or 42%. This included an increase of about 4,000, or 3.2%, from 2000 to 2003. Nationwide, 594, or 4.7%, of local police departments employed at least 100 sworn personnel. This included 50 departments with 1,000 or more officers. The New York City Police department was the largest, with about 36,000 officers (see Exhibit 1). An estimated 5,757, or 45.5%, of departments employed fewer than 10 officers, including 561 with just 1 officer. Thirty-four percent of all full-time local police officers were employed by a department with 1,000 or more sworn personnel, and 61% were employed by a department with at least 100 sworn personnel. Departments that employed fewer than 10 officers accounted for about 5% of officers nationwide. Although 74% of all local police departments served fewer than 10,000 residents, these agencies employed just 14% of all officers. About half of all officers served a jurisdiction with 100,000 or more residents. While departments serving the largest cities had thousands of officers on average, those serving fewer than 2,500 residents had an average of just 4 full-time employees, including 3 sworn officers. Overall, about half of part-time local police employees were sworn officers. The average number of part-time sworn employees was no higher than three in any population category. Among municipal police departments, the average ratio of full-time officers per 1,000 residents was 2.5. Those serving 25,000 to 99,999 residents had the lowest average ratio(1.8). Overall, 68% of full-time local police officers had regularly assigned duties that included responding to calls for service. The proportion of officers responding to calls ranged from about 6 in 10 among departments serving 100,000 or more residents, to about 9 in 10 in those serving fewer than 10,000 residents. As of June 30, 2003, local police departments collectively employed 96% of the maximum number of full-time sworn personnel authorized by their budgets. The lowest actual-to-authorized ratio for sworn personnel was among departments serving fewer than 2,500 residents (92%). Officer separations and new hires Sixty-one percent of local police departments experienced officer separations during the 12-month period ending June 30, 2003. Nearly all departments serving a population of 50,000 or more had officer separations during the 12- month period, compared to less than half of those serving a population under 2,500. The average number of separations across all agencies was 4 officers, ranging from 2 officers among departments serving fewer than 10,000 residents to 284 officers among departments serving 1 million or more residents. During the same time period, 60% of departments hired new officers. The average number of new hires across all agencies was 5 officers, ranging from 2 among departments serving fewer than 10,000 residents to 359 among departments serving 1 million or more residents. Overall, an estimated 32,122 full-time sworn officers separated from local police departments during the 12-month period ending June 30, 2003. About half (16,131 officers) of these separations were due to resignations, 29% (9,397 officers) were due to nonmedical retirements, 8% (2,606 officers) were dismissals, 6% (1,807 officers) were medical/disability retirements, and 4% (1,305 officers) were probationary rejections. About three-quarters of the separations in departments serving the smallest jurisdictions were due to resignations, compared to about a sixth in the largest jurisdictions. In contrast, three-quarters of all separations in the largest jurisdictions were due to nonmedical retirements, compared to just 4% in the smallest. Overall, local police departments hired an estimated 34,474 new full-time sworn officers during the 12-month period ending June 30, 2003. The total included 28,791 entry-level hires (84%), 5,323 lateral transfers (15%), and 360 other new hires (1%). Almost all new hires among departments serving 500,000 or more residents, and more than 8 in 10 new hires among departments serving 10,000 to 499,999 residents, were entry-level hires. Lateral transfers were more common among smaller departments, comprising about 30% of all new hires by departments serving less than 10,000 residents, compared with 1% of new hires in the largest departments. Ten percent of agencies experienced separations only during the 12-month period. These agencies had an estimated 2,786 separations. Nine percent of agencies experienced new hires only. These agencies had an estimated 2,027 new hires. Net personnel change, 2002-2003 The 34,474 new hires by local police departments during the year ending June 30, 2003 and the 32,122 separations over the same period represents an overall estimated net increase in the number of full-time local police officers of 2,352. Overall, agencies serving fewer than 2,500 residents experienced a net loss of 163 officers, the largest decrease of any population category. The 2,500 to 9,999 population category (-21), was the only other one to record a net loss during this period. The largest increase in number of officers was in the largest jurisdictions where 856 more officers were serving populations of 1 million or more in June 2003 compared to a year earlier. The next largest increase was in jurisdictions with 10,000 to 24,999 residents, where 526 officers were added. Military reservists called to active duty During the 12-month period ending June 30, 2003, 21% of local police departments had full-time sworn personnel who were called up as full-time military reservists and were, therefore, no longer available for law enforcement duties. The percent of departments with call-ups ranged from 94% or more in population categories of 100,000 or more to 6% in jurisdictions with fewer than 2,500 residents. Overall, about 7,500 officers were called-up for reserve military service. About three-fifths (59%) of them came from departments serving 50,000 or more residents. The average number of officers called up was 3, ranging from 1 officer among departments serving fewer than 25,000 residents to 74 officers among departments serving a population of 1 million or more. Reserve or auxiliary officers Some local police departments partly offset officer shortages through the use of supplemental personnel, such as sworn reserve or auxiliary officers. As of June 30, 2003, 35% of departments were using part-time sworn reserve or auxiliary officers, with an average of 6 officers each. Overall, local police departments employed 26,625 such officers. Seven percent of departments were using full-time sworn reserve or auxiliary officers, with a total of 5,376 nationwide. Eleven percent of departments were using part-time nonsworn reserve or auxiliary officers, with a total of nearly 14,000 used nationwide. One percent of departments were using full-time nonsworn reserve or auxiliary officers, with an overall total of about 600. Gender and race of officers Of the 451,737 full-time sworn personnel in local police departments as of June 2003, approximately 11% were women. The percentage of female officers ranged from about 17% in departments serving 1 million or more residents to about 6% in those serving fewer than 10,000 residents. In 2003 the estimated 51,046 female officers represented an increase of about 4,400, or 9%, from 2000. During this time, female representation among local police officers increased from 10.6% to 11.3%. By comparison, women comprised just 7.6% of local police officers in 1987. In 2003 an estimated 23.6% of full-time local police officers were members of a racial or ethnic minority. Minority officers comprised more than a third of the total in jurisdictions with 250,000 or more residents. Blacks or African Americans accounted for 11.7% of all local police officers in 2003. Black employment was highest among departments serving a population of 500,000 to 999,999 (24.4%). An estimated 9.1% of local police officers nationwide were Hispanic or Latino, with the highest representation among departments serving a population of 1 million or more (19.3%). The number of local police officers who were members of a racial or ethnic minority in 2003 (106,610) represented an increase of about 7,000, or 7%, over 2000 levels. From 2000 to 2003 minority representation increased slightly, from 22.6% to 23.6%. In 1987 minorities comprised 14.6% of all local police officers. The estimated 52,853 full-time black or African American local police officers employed in 2003 was an increase of about 1,500, or 3%, compared to 2000. During this time the percent of officers who were black remained unchanged at 11.7%. In 1987 blacks comprised 9.3% of officers. An estimated 41,108 Hispanic or Latino officers were employed by local police departments in 2003. This was about 4,700, or 13%, more than in 2000. From 2000 to 2003 the percentage of local police officers who were Hispanic or Latino rose from 8.3% to 9.1%. In 1987, 4.5% of officers were Hispanic. From 2000 to 2003 representation by other minority groups such as Asians, Pacific Islanders, and American Indians increased by about 850, or 7%, to about 12,650 officers. These groups comprised 2.8% of local police officers in 2003 compared to 2.7% in 2000, and 0.8% in 1987. Screening of officer applicants Local police departments employed a variety of screening methods when hiring new officers. Nearly all used personal interviews (98%), and a majority used medical exams (85%), drug tests (73%), and psychological evaluations (67%). Among departments serving 50,000 or more residents, more than 8 in 10 used physical agility tests and written aptitude tests. More than half the departments in these population categories used polygraph exams. In addition to interviews, tests, and examinations, nearly all departments screened recruits through criminal record checks (99%), background investigations (98%), and driving record checks (96%). A majority conducted credit record checks (55%), including more than 8 in 10 departments serving 25,000 or more residents. Nearly all local police officers were employed by departments that used criminal record checks, background investigations, driving record checks, medical exams, and personal interviews. About 9 in 10 were employed by departments that used psychological evaluations and drug tests. More than two-thirds of officers worked in departments using physical agility tests (80% of officers), aptitude tests (74%), and credit checks (70%). Education and training requirements Nearly all (98%) local police departments had an education requirement for new officer recruits. Eighteen percent of departments had some type of college requirement, with 9% requiring a 2-year degree. In 2003 the percentage of officers employed by a department with some type of college requirement for new officers (33%) was about the same as in 2000 (32%), but more than 3 times as high as in 1990 (10%). In the largest jurisdictions new local police recruits were required to complete an average of about 1,500 hours of training compared to about 800 hours in the smallest. On average, about three-quarters of training hours were State mandated, with the remainder an agency requirement. For greater detail on basic law enforcement training, see State and Local Law Enforcement Training Academies, 2002. From 2000 to 2003 there were significant increases in training requirements for local police recruits in jurisdictions with fewer than 250,000 residents. In jurisdictions with 50,000 to 249,999 residents, the average combined field and academy training requirement rose from 1,178 hours to 1,355 hours; with 10,000 to 49,999 residents, from 969 to 1,148; and with fewer than 10,000 residents, from 605 to 855. The average requirement rose slightly in jurisdictions with more than 250,000 residents; from 1,514 to 1,543. The average annual inservice training requirement for non-probationary officers was 47 hours, including 24 State-mandated hours. Overall, just 3% of departments operated a training academy; however, nearly all of those serving a population of 250,000 or more did so. Nationwide, 45% of all officers were employed by a department that operated an academy. Budget and pay Operating budgets The total operating budget of local police departments during fiscal 2003 was about $43.3 billion. This was 10% more than in 2000 after adjusting for inflation. (These figures do not include budgets for capital expenditures such as equipment purchases or construction projects.) Local police departments accounted for 59% of the $73.6 billion in total operating budgets for general purpose State and local law enforcement agencies. Nationwide, operating budgets were about $3.4 million per department for fiscal 2003, ranging from about $572 million for departments serving a population of 1 million or more, to $208,000 among those serving fewer than 2,500 residents. The overall operating cost per resident was $200, with departments in jurisdictions with a population of 1 million or more costing the most to operate, $282 per resident. Departments serving a population of less than 10,000 had the lowest per resident cost -- about $160. Nationwide, local police departments cost an estimated $93,300 per sworn officer to operate for fiscal 2003. Costs ranged from $99,000 or more per officer in population categories of 25,000 or more, to $45,500 per officer in jurisdictions with a population under 2,500. When both sworn and nonsworn employees are included, the average operating budget for local police departments was about $71,500 per employee for the year. Operating costs ranged from more than $75,000 per employee in jurisdictions with 50,000 or more residents to $40,000 per employee in those with fewer than 2,500 residents. After controlling for inflation, per officer operating costs for 2003 were $12,800, or 16%, higher than in 2000. The largest increase, from $77,300 to $92,200, was recorded in jurisdictions with 10,000 to 49,999 residents. The smallest increase, from $53,400 to $60,100, was in jurisdictions with fewer than 10,000 residents. Salaries The overall average base starting salary for local police chiefs was $48,800 in 2003. Average starting salaries for chiefs ranged from $113,000 in jurisdictions with 1 million or more residents to $32,700 in those with a population under 2,500. Average minimum starting salaries for first-line supervisors (sergeant or equivalent) ranged from $60,200 in the largest jurisdictions to $27,100 in the smallest, with an overall departmental average of $36,600. When size of department is considered, the average minimum starting salary earned by local police sergeants was about $52,600. By department the average base starting salary offered to entry-level patrol officers in 2003 was $28,200. Starting salaries ranged from $23,400 in jurisdictions with fewer than 2,500 residents to $39,600 in those with a population of 100,000 to 249,999. When size of department is factored in, it is estimated that new entry-level local police officers started at an average salary 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 jurisdictions with 250,000 or more residents, from $36,170 to $37,514. In smaller jurisdictions, the increase was also 4%: 50,000 to 249,999 residents, from $36,607 to $38,011; 10,000 to 49,999 residents, from $32,706 to $33,889; fewer than 10,000 residents, from $24,835 to $25,834. Special pay Nationwide, 35% of local police departments, employing 62% of all officers, offered tuition reimbursement to officers. This included a majority of departments serving 10,000 or more residents. An estimated 32% of departments offered education incentive pay to qualifying officers, including a majority of those serving a population of 10,000 or more. About half (53%) of all local police officers worked for a department that offered this type of pay. Twenty-one percent of local police departments, employing 30% of all local police officers, offered merit pay to qualifying sworn personnel. Twenty-one percent of departments, employing 52% of all officers, offered shift differential pay to full-time officers. This included a majority of the departments serving a population of 100,000 or more. Thirteen percent of departments offered special skills pay, including more than half of the departments serving 1 million or more residents and more than a third of those serving a population of 50,000 to 999,999. Overall, 27% of local police officers worked in a department that offered special skills pay. Ten percent of local police departments authorized special pay for military service. These department employed 18% of local police officers. Hazardous duty pay was available in 5% of all local police departments, employing 24% of all officers. About two-thirds of the departments serving 1 million or more residents, and about half of those serving 250,000 to 999,999 residents offered this type of pay. Four percent of local police departments offered special pay for officers with bilingual ability, including half of those serving 1 million or more residents. Twenty-three percent of local police officers worked for departments authorizing this type of special pay. Unions and collective bargaining Nationwide, 41% of local police departments, employing 71% of all officers, authorized collective bargaining for sworn personnel. This included at least 66% of the departments in each population category of 10,000 or more. Overall, 22% of local police departments, employing 60% of all nonsworn local police personnel, authorized collective bargaining for nonsworn employees. A majority of departments serving populations of 25,000 or more did so. The average starting salary for entry-level officers was about $8,900 higher in departments that authorized collective bargaining than in those that did not authorize it. Departments with collective bargaining for officers had higher average entry-level salaries in all population categories. In jurisdictions with fewer than 10,000 residents 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. Operations Facilities As of June 30, 2003, 15% of local police departments operated district, precinct, or division stations that were separate from headquarters. About 3,000 such stations were operated by local police departments nationwide. An estimated 12% of departments operated fixed neighborhood or community substations, including a majority of those serving a population of 50,000 or more. Two percent of departments operated mobile substations, including 27% of those serving 250,000 to 999,999 residents. Nationwide, local police departments operated an estimated 3,546 fixed substations, and 335 mobile substations. Patrol and response Local police departments used a variety of patrol types to supplement routine automobile patrol services. Fifty-nine percent of departments, employing 69% of all officers, used foot patrol on a routine basis. This included more than 3 in 4 departments serving a population of 250,000 or more. Overall, 38% of departments, employing 74% of all officers, used routine bicycle patrol. More than 8 in 10 departments serving 100,000 or more residents had routine bike patrols, as did about 6 in 10 departments serving 10,000 to 99,999 residents. Compared to 2000 the percentage of local police departments using routine foot or bicycle patrol in 2003 was about the same in jurisdictions with 250,000 or more residents, or fewer than 10,000 residents. In jurisdictions with 50,000 to 249,999 residents, it declined from 91% to 80%, and in jurisdictions with 10,000 to 49,999 residents, it declined from 82% to 72%. From 1997 to 2000 there had been an increase in the use of these types of patrol in all population categories. An estimated 14% of departments, employing 60% of all officers, used motorcycle patrol on a routine basis during 2003. This included a majority of those serving 50,000 or more residents. Overall, few departments routinely scheduled marine (4%) or horse (2%) patrol units. However, about 6 in 10 departments serving 250,000 or more residents used horse patrols on a routine basis. All but a few small local police departments regularly responded to citizen calls for service. An estimated 38% of agencies dispatched calls as well. This included at least 70% of the departments in each population category of 10,000 or more. Nearly a quarter (23%) of local police departments dispatched calls for fire services. Fire dispatch responsibilities were most common among departments serving 10,000 to 99,999 residents, where more than 40% performed this function. About in 1 in 10 departments used sworn personnel as communications technicians such as call-takers and dispatchers. This included about a quarter of those serving 500,000 or more residents. Among departments having sworn communications technicians, the average number of such personnel was 7, ranging from 2 in the smallest departments to more than 30 in those serving 250,000 to 999,999 residents. Overall, local police departments had an estimated 8,675 full-time sworn personnel serving in this capacity. 9-1-1 emergency telephone system In 2003, 92% of local police departments participated in a 9-1-1 emergency telephone system. At least 89% of departments in each population category were 9-1-1 participants, including all of those serving 100,000 to 999,999 residents. Seventy-three percent of departments had an enhanced 9-1-1 system, capable of automatically displaying information such as a caller's phone number, address, and special needs. This included more than 90% of those serving a population of 50,000 or more. Sixty-one percent of departments in jurisdictions with fewer than 2,500 residents had enhanced 9-1-1. Among the enhanced 9-1-1 systems in use during 2003, 63% had the ability to display the phone number of wireless callers, and 19% could display the location of wireless callers. In 2003, 98% of all local police officers worked for a department with 9-1-1, compared to 60% in 1987. Ninety percent of officers were employed by a department with enhanced 9-1-1 in 2003, compared to 26% in 1987. Crime investigation Overall, 92% of local police departments had investigative responsibility for at least some types of crimes during the 12-month period ending June 30, 2003. Sixty-four percent of departments, employing 91% of all officers, handled homicide investigations. This included more than 9 in 10 departments serving 25,000 or more residents. Sixty-two percent of departments, employing 74% of all officers, conducted arson investigations. This included more than 80% of the departments serving 10,000 to 99,999 residents. Forty-five percent of departments, employing 75% of all officers, conducted cybercrime investigations, including more than 7 in 10 departments in each population category of 10,000 or more. Drug enforcement activities About 9 in 10 local police departments regularly performed drug enforcement functions. More than 90% of the departments in each population category of 2,500 or more had drug enforcement responsibilities, including all of those serving 250,000 or more residents. Departments with drug enforcement responsibilities employed 97% of all local police officers. Eighteen percent of local police departments operated a special unit for drug enforcement with one or more officers assigned full-time. The majority of departments serving a population of 50,000 or more residents had a full-time drug enforcement unit. There were an estimated 12,212 local police officers assigned full time to drug enforcement units nationwide. The average number of officers assigned ranged from 233 in jurisdictions with 1 million or more residents to 1 in those with fewer than 2,500 residents. Drug task force participation In 2003 an estimated 23% of local police departments had one or more officers assigned full time to a multi-agency drug enforcement task force, including more than three-quarters of departments serving 50,000 or more residents. About 65% of all local police officers worked for a department that assigned officers to a task force. Nationwide, an estimated 5,959 local police officers were assigned full time to a drug task force. The average number assigned full time ranged from 39 in departments serving a population of 1 million or more to 1 or 2 in those serving fewer than 50,000 residents. Drug asset forfeiture receipts Thirty-six percent of all local police departments received money, property, or goods from a drug asset forfeiture program during 2002. These departments employed 78% of all local police officers. At least 80% of the departments in each population category of 25,000 or more had drug asset forfeiture receipts. The overall median amount received from drug asset forfeiture programs by local police departments during 2002 was $7,000. By population category, the median amount received ranged from about $1.2 million among departments serving a population of 1 million or more to $2,000 among those serving fewer than 2,500 residents. Local police departments received an estimated $298 million in money, goods, and property from drug asset forfeitures during 2002. Including both departments with receipts and those without, this was the equivalent of $642 per sworn officer employed. Departments with 100 to 249 officers received the most -- $990 per officer. Next highest were departments with 250 to 999 officers with $928 per officer. Departments with fewer than 50 officers received the least -- about $400 per officer. Court-related functions A large majority of local police departments executed arrest warrants (91%) and enforced protection orders (84%) during 2003. Less common responsibilities included providing court security (27%), serving civil process (18%), enforcing child support orders (16%), or serving eviction notices (10%). Detention-related functions About one-third (32%) of local police departments provided inmate transport services during 2003. About a quarter (24%) operated a temporary holding cell not used for overnight detention. Nine percent of local police departments operated at least one jail during 2003. No more than 23% of the departments in any population category were operating a jail. Sixteen percent of all local police officers worked for a department with a jail. Twenty-five percent of departments operated at least one temporary holding (lockup) facility for overnight detention of adults that was separate from a jail. The median maximum holding time for these facilities was 20 hours. The median total capacity of adult lockups ranged from 76 in jurisdictions with 1 million or more residents to 4 in those with fewer than 10,000 residents. The estimated total adult capacity of local police lockups nationwide was about 25,500. Thirteen percent of departments had a lockup facility for juveniles, with a median maximum holding time of 16 hours. The median capacity of juvenile lockups ranged from 40 in jurisdictions with 1 million or more residents to 1 in those with fewer than 2,500 residents. Nationwide, local police lockups for juveniles had a estimated total capacity of about 4,600. Special public safety functions About three-quarters (74%) of local police departments in 2003 provided crime prevention education to citizens, including more than 9 in 10 agencies serving populations of 10,000 or more. About two-thirds (65%) of departments provided animal control services in 2003. Other special public safety functions included: school crossing services (42%); emergency medical services (26%); civil defense (19%); and fire services (10%). Traffic and vehicle-related functions Nearly all local police departments enforced traffic laws (100%) and investigated traffic accidents (97%). Nearly 9 in 10 performed traffic direction and control (89%) and also parking enforcement (86%) functions. Thirty-eight percent of departments handled commercial vehicle enforcement functions, including a majority of those serving a population of 25,000 or more. Special operations functions One quarter of departments performed tactical operations in 2003, utilizing what are commonly known as SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) teams (table 38). These departments employed 73% of all local police officers. Nearly all departments serving a population of 100,000 or more performed tactical operations. An estimated 21% of local police departments, employing 36% of all officers, performed search and rescue operations on a regular basis during 2003. This included 63% of the departments serving 1 million or more residents and 49% of those serving 500,000 to 999,999 residents. Four percent of local police departments, employing 24% of all officers, were responsible for underwater recovery operations during 2003. This included about half of the departments serving populations of 500,000 or more. Three percent of departments, employing 43% of officers, had primary responsibility for explosives disposal. This included more than three-quarters of the departments serving 250,000 or more residents. Community policing Community policing promotes and supports organizational strategies to address the causes and reduce the fear of crime and social disorder through problem-solving tactics and police-community partnerships. Balancing responses to calls for service with proactive problem solving, effective community policing requires police and citizens to join together in identifying and addressing underlying causes of crime and disorder. The implementation of a community policing plan is designed to support and empower front-line officers, decentralize command, and encourage innovative problem solving. For more information see the COPS office website at . In 2003, 14% of local police departments, employing 44% of all local police officers, had a formally written community policing plan. This included at least 40% of the departments in each population category of 50,000 or more. Among the two-thirds of local police departments that had an agency mission statement in 2003, 70%, representing 47% of all departments, had one that included some aspect of community policing. These departments employed 73% of all local police 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 community policing skills such as problem-solving; Scanning, Analysis, Response, Assessment (SARA); and developing community partnerships. Thirty-one percent of departments, employing 67% of all officers, trained all new recruits in community policing. The proportion of departments that trained all recruits ranged from over three-quarters among those serving 100,000 or more residents to about a sixth among those serving fewer than 2,500 residents. Forty-eight percent of departments, employing 57% of officers, trained at least some inservice officers during the 1-year period. Seventeen percent of departments, employing 19% of all officers, trained all inservice officers in community policing. Twelve percent of departments, employing 28% of nonsworn local police employees, trained at least some civilian employees in community policing during the 1-year period. Community policing personnel Overall, 58% of departments, employing 82% of all officers, had full-time sworn personnel serving as community policing officers. In some jurisdictions these officers are known as community relations officers, community resource officers, or some other name indicative of the community policing approach they employ. Nationwide, local police departments employed about 55,000 community policing officers or their equivalent. A majority of departments in all population categories had full-time community policing officers. Those serving a population of 1 million or more employed 287 such officers on average. Departments serving fewer than 2,500 residents had 3 on average. In all population categories the percentage of local police departments using community policing officers in 2003 was greater than in 1997, but less than in 2000. In jurisdictions with fewer than 10,000 residents, the percentage rose from 26% in 1997 to 62% in 2000, then dropped to 54% in 2003; in those with 10,000 to 49,999 residents, from 57%, to 75%, to 67%; in those with 50,000 to 249,999 residents, from 76% to 93% to 88%; and in those with 250,000 or more residents, from 75% to 92% to 89%. An estimated 43% of local police departments, employing 74% of all local police officers, had full-time sworn personnel assigned as school resource officers during 2003. More than two-thirds of the departments in each population category of 10,000 or more used school resource officers, including 93% of those in jurisdictions with 250,000 to 499,999 residents. School resource officers use a community policing approach to provide a safe environment for students and staff. In addition to handling calls for service within the school, they work closely with school administrators and staff to prevent crime and disorder by monitoring crime trends, problem areas, cultural conflicts, and other areas of concern. As of June 2003 local police departments had an estimated 14,337 full-time sworn personnel assigned as school resource officers, about 600 more than in June 2000. The average number of school resource officers in 2003 ranged from 75 in departments serving 1 million or more residents, to 2 in those serving fewer than 25,000 residents. Community policing policies and programs In an effort to hire officers more suited to community policing, 27% percent of local police departments, employing 32% of all officers, assessed new recruits' analytical and problem-solving abilities as part of the selection process. Fourteen percent of departments, employing 23% of officers, assessed recruits' understanding of culturally diverse populations. Ten percent of departments, employing 12% of officers, assessed mediation skills and ability to manage interpersonal conflicts. Thirty-one percent of departments, employing 70% of all officers, gave patrol officers responsibility for specific geographic areas or beats during 2003. Most departments serving 10,000 or more residents assigned patrol officers to geographic areas. About 1 in 4 departments, employing nearly half(45%) of all officers, actively encouraged patrol officers to become involved in problem-solving projects. Most departments serving 50,000 or more residents had such a policy. Fourteen percent of departments, employing 34% of all officers, included participation in collaborative problem-solving projects in the performance evaluation criteria for patrol officers. An estimated 37% of departments, employing 73% of all officers, partnered with citizen groups to elicit feedback for developing community policing strategies. This included more than two-thirds of departments serving a population of 25,000 or more. Twenty-one percent of departments, employing 54% of all officers, upgraded technology during 2003 to support the analysis of community problems. This included a majority of departments serving 50,000 or more residents. Eighteen percent of departments, employing 53% of all officers, offered training to citizens on community policing topics such as community mobilization and problem-solving. A majority of departments serving 50,000 or more residents offered such training. Seventeen percent of departments, employing 58% of all officers, conducted a citizen police academy. About 80% of the departments serving a population of 100,000 or more conducted citizen academies. Sixty percent of departments, employing 84% of all officers, had problem-solving partnerships or written agreements with community groups, local agencies, or others during the year ending June 30, 2003. This included about 9 in 10 departments serving 50,000 or more residents. Local police departments had partnerships or written agreements with a wide variety of groups. About three-fifths of local police officers worked for a department that had partnerships or agreements with other law enforcement agencies (63%), school groups (62%), neighborhood associations (62%), or local public agencies (57%). About half of all officers worked for a department that had problem-solving partnerships or written agreements with business groups (49%), advocacy groups (49%), or youth service organizations (49%). More than two-fifths of all officers were employed by a department that had partnerships or written agreements with senior citizen groups (45%) or faith-based organizations (43%). Twenty-two percent of local police departments, employing 43% of all officers, surveyed citizens in their jurisdiction during the year ending June 30, 2003. Seventeen percent of departments, employing 38% of all officers, surveyed citizens regarding their satisfaction with police services. A majority of the departments serving 250,000 to 499,999 residents conducted citizen satisfaction surveys. Twelve percent of departments, employing 23% of all officers, surveyed citizens regarding their perceptions of crime problems; 10%, employing 17% of all officers, surveyed citizens regarding crime reporting; and 7%, employing 17% of all officers, surveyed citizens about their personal crime experiences. A majority of the departments conducting surveys used the data to evaluate agency performance (76%) or to provide information to officers (61%). Other common uses included evaluating officer performance (49%), evaluating program effectiveness (45%), prioritizing crime and disorder problems (43%), allocating resources to neighborhoods (38%), and training development (37%). Policies and procedures Local police departments typically have numerous written policies and procedures to structure officer discretion and decision making. These policies and procedures guide officers through their diverse work activities. Special populations Eighty-four percent of local police departments, employing 95% of all local police officers, had written policies or procedures for handling juveniles. This included all agencies serving a population of 1 million or more residents. A majority of departments had written policies or procedures on responding to the mentally ill (59%). These departments employed 81% of all officers. Twenty-seven percent of local departments, employing 42% of officers, had policies or procedures for interactions with homeless persons. Work-related policies Forty-nine percent of local police departments, employing 72% of all officers, had a written policy on the maximum number of hours that officers can work. Eighty-one percent of departments, employing 96% of all officers, had a written policy pertaining to off-duty employment by officers. This included all departments serving 250,000 or more residents, and nearly all of those serving a population of 10,000 to 249,999. Use of force Ninety-five percent of departments, employing 99% of all officers, had a written policy pertaining to the use of deadly force. All departments serving 10,000 or more residents, and 98% of those serving 2,500 to 9,999 residents, had such a policy. Ninety percent of departments, employing 97% of all officers, had a written policy pertaining to the use of nonlethal force. Officer conduct and appearance Ninety-four percent of departments, employing 99% of officers, had a written code of officer conduct and appearance. This included all departments serving 25,000 or more residents. Eighty-six percent of departments, employing 96% of officers, had a written policy covering off-duty conduct. Vehicle-related policies Forty-nine percent of local police departments, employing 40% of local police officers, allowed officers to take marked vehicles home. Eleven percent of departments allowed officers to use the vehicle for personal errands. Ninety-four percent of local police departments, including all of those serving 25,000 or more residents, had a written policy governing pursuit driving. Sixty-one percent of departments, employing 82% of officers, had a restrictive pursuit driving policy, one that restricts pursuits according to specific criteria such as type of offense or maximum speed. Twenty-five percent of departments, employing 13% of officers, had a judgmental pursuit policy, one that leaves pursuit decisions to the officer's discretion. Six percent of departments, employing 3% of all officers, had a policy that discouraged pursuits. Additional policies Eighty-seven percent of departments had written policies on the handling of domestic disputes and citizen com- plaints. These departments employed more than 95% of all local police officers. Seventy-five percent of departments, employing 93% of all officers, had written policies about interactions with the media. This included all departments serving 500,000 or more residents, and more than 90% of those serving 25,000 to 499,999 residents. Sixty-two percent of departments, employing 79% of all officers, had written policies pertaining to racial profiling by officers. This included about 9 in 10 agencies serving 250,000 or more residents. Sixty percent of departments, employing 86% of all officers, had a written policy on strip searches. This included more than 9 in 10 departments serving a population of 100,000 or more, and more than 8 in 10 departments serving 25,000 to 99,999 residents. Fifty-two percent of departments, serving 83% of all officers, had a written policy pertaining to employee counseling. More than 9 in 10 departments serving 100,000 or more residents had such a policy. Thirty-nine percent of departments had a written plan specifying the actions to be taken in the event of terrorist attacks. This included about 9 in 10 departments serving a population of 100,000 or more. Agencies having a written plan specifying their response to terrorist events employed 75% of all local police officers in 2003. Equipment Sidearms In 2003 nearly all local police departments authorized patrol officers to carry one or more types of semiautomatic sidearms. Seventeen percent of them authorized revolvers. The most common sidearm was the .40-caliber semiautomatic, authorized by 62% of all departments, employing 55% of all officers. About a third of departments authorized 9mm and .45-caliber semiautomatics. Other semiautomatic sidearms authorized included the .357-caliber (16%), the 10mm (10%), and the .380-caliber (3%). Nineteen percent of departments, employing 8% of officers, had a policy that authorized officers to carry any of the above semiautomatic sidearms, provided the officer qualifies with the weapon on a firing range. Sixty-five percent of local police departments, employing 81% of all officers, supplied field officers with their primary sidearm. Three percent of departments, employing 6% of all officers, provided a cash allowance for sidearms. Body armor In 2003, 71% of local police departments, employing 74% of all officers, required field officers to wear protective body armor at least some of the time while on duty. Fifty-nine percent of departments, employing 59% of all officers, required field officers to wear body armor at all times while on duty. Twelve percent of departments, employing 15% of officers, required officers to wear body armor in certain high-risk circumstances, such as when serving warrants. Eighty-three percent of departments, employing 87% of all officers, supplied armor to officers and 5% provided a cash allowance. From 1990 to 2003, the percentage of local police officers employed by a department with some type of body armor requirement for field officers increased from 30% to 74%. During the same period the percentage employed by a department with a requirement for all field officers in all circumstances rose from 25% to 59%. Nonlethal weapons In 2003 nearly all local police departments authorized officers to use one or more types of nonlethal weapons. Chemical agents, such as pepper spray, were the most commonly authorized. Ninety-eight percent of departments, employing 98% of all officers, authorized the use of pepper spray. Batons were also commonly authorized, with 95% of all departments allowing their use. Departments authorizing one or more types of batons employed 98% of all officers. Collapsible batons (88%) were authorized by about twice as many departments as traditional (49%) or PR-24 (42%) batons. About 9 in 10 local police officers nationwide worked for a department authorizing collapsible batons (89%) and about half for one authorizing traditional (56%) or PR-24 (45%) batons. An estimated 28% of departments employing 47% of all officers, authorized the use of soft projectiles. This included a majority of the departments serving a population of 25,000 or more. Twenty-three percent of departments, employing 47% of all officers, authorized electrical devices such as stun guns and tasers. This included 75% of departments serving a population of 1 million or more. Thirteen percent of departments, employing 18% of all officers, authorized the use of carotid holds, choke holds, or neck restraints. From 1990 to 2003, in population categories of less than 250,000, there were large increases in the percentage of departments authorizing chemical agents. These increases were as follows: 50,000 to 249,999 residents, 65% to 99%; 10,000 to 49,999, 59% to 99%; under 10,000, 48% to 99%. In departments serving 250,000 or more residents, where most departments already authorized the use of chemical agents in 1990, the increase was from 86% to 97%. In 2003, 98% of officers were employed by a department that authorized chemical agents, compared to 72% in 1990. Vehicles Nationwide, local police departments operated about 243,000 cars, or about 52 cars per 100 sworn personnel. By population category the ratio of cars to officers was lowest in jurisdictions with 1 million or more residents -- 26 cars per 100 officers. The proportion ranged from 54 to 64 cars per 100 officers in other population categories. About a third of the cars operated by local police departments were unmarked (34%). The percentage of cars that were unmarked ranged from 45% in jurisdictions with a population of 1 million or more to 17% in jurisdictions with fewer than 2,500 residents. In addition to cars 54% of departments used other 4-wheel motorized vehicles such as sport utility vehicles, trucks or vans. This included a large majority of departments in jurisdictions serving 10,000 or more residents. Overall, there were about 39,000 such vehicles operated, or about 8 per 100 sworn personnel employed. Sixteen percent of local police departments used motorcycles during 2003, including more than 9 in 10 departments serving a population of 100,000 or more. Nationwide, local police operated about 10,000 motorcycles, or about 2 for every 100 officers employed. Nearly half (45%) of all departments were using bicycles as of June 2003, with a total of nearly 29,000 nationwide. The ratio of bicycles to officers was highest in jurisdictions with a population of 2,500 to 9,999 (11 per 100), with an overall ratio for all population categories of 6 bicycles per 100 sworn personnel. Off-land vehicles About 5% of local police departments, employing 39% of all officers, operated at least one boat during 2003. This included a majority of those serving 250,000 or more residents. Nationwide, local police operated about 1,200 boats. One percent of departments, employing 30% of all officers, used helicopters. Of departments serving 250,000 or more residents, a majority used helicopters. An estimated 253 local police helicopters were in use nationwide in 2003. Less than 1% of local police departments operated fixed-wing aircraft, with an estimated total of 47 in use nationwide. Nearly half of departments serving 1 million or more residents operated at least 1 airplane. Departments using airplanes employed 9% of all officers. Animals Twenty-nine percent of local police departments, employing 74% of all officers, used dogs for law enforcement activities. This included more than 90% of those serving 100,000 or more residents. Overall, about 7,500 dogs were maintained by local police departments in 2003. About 2% of departments, employing 37% of all officers, used horses for law enforcement purposes, including a majority of those serving 250,000 or more residents. Local police departments collectively maintained approximately 1,500 horses. Video cameras Sixty percent of all local police departments used video cameras on a regular basis during the year ending June 30, 2003. Agencies regularly using video cameras employed 67% of all local police officers. Video cameras were most commonly used in patrol cars (55%). A majority of the departments serving fewer than 100,000 residents used in-car cameras, as did nearly half of those serving larger populations. An estimated total of 48,800 were in use in 2003, with an average of 7 cameras each among departments using them. Fourteen percent of departments used video cameras for fixed-site surveillance, including about two- fifths of those serving a population of 250,000 or more. Among departments using such cameras, the average number in use ranged from 2 in the smallest jurisdictions to over 500 in the largest. Eleven percent of departments used video cameras for traffic enforcement. The average number in use ranged from 2 in the smallest jurisdictions to 34 in the largest. Eight percent of departments used video cameras for mobile surveillance, with the average number in use ranging from 2 among departments serving fewer than 100,000 residents, to 22 among departments serving 250,000 to 499,999 residents. From 2000 to 2003 local police departments in all population categories increased their use of video cameras in patrol cars. In jurisdictions with a population of 250,000 or more, 54% of departments were using them in 2003 compared to 34% in 2000. The increases in other categories were as follows: 50,000 to 249,999 residents, from 46% to 61%, 10,000 to 49,999 residents, from 42% to 54%, under 10,000 residents, from 33% to 46%. Special technologies Twenty-three percent of local police departments, employing 50% of all officers, used infrared (thermal) imagers on a regular basis. This included a majority of the departments serving 50,000 or more residents. Ten percent of departments, employing 25% of all officers, used image intensifiers. Laser range finders were used regularly by 8% of all departments, employing 28% of all officers. Tire deflation spikes were used regularly by 31% of all departments, employing 45% of all officers. This included a majority of the departments serving a population of 25,000 or more. Seven percent of departments, employing 38% of all officers, used stolen vehicle tracking technology on a regular basis. This included a majority of the departments serving 250,000 or more residents. Electrical/engine disruption technology was used by less than 0.5% of all departments and no more than 8% of the departments in any population category. Such departments employed 3% of all officers. Nearly half (48%) of departments, employing 80% of all officers, regularly used digital imaging technology for mug shots. This included at least 80% of the departments in each population category of 25,000 or more. About a quarter (26%) of departments, employing 65% of all officers, regularly used digital imaging technology for fingerprints. This included a majority of the departments serving 25,000 or more residents. A fifth of departments, employing 41% of all officers, used digital imaging technology for suspect composites. A majority of the departments serving 25,000 to 999,999 residents used it for this purpose. Digital imaging technology for facial recognition was used by 4% of local police departments, including 19% of those serving 1 million or more residents. Computers and information systems Computer functions Local police departments used computers for a wide variety of functions in 2003. For example, 77% of all departments, employing 83% of all officers, used computers for Internet access. More than 3 times as many local police departments used computers for Internet access in 2003 as in 1997 (24%). During 2003, 69% of all departments, employing 80% of all officers, used computers for records management. Half of departments used computers for crime investigations. Those using computers for crime investigations employed 71% of all officers. Forty-five percent of departments, employing 64% of all officers, used computers to maintain personnel records. A third of local police departments used computers to aid the dispatching of calls for service. A majority of departments serving a population of 10,000 or more had computer-aided dispatch, and 72% of all local police officers worked for such a department. Thirty-one percent of local departments, employing 53% of all officers, used computers for interagency information sharing. About a fifth of local police departments used computers for fleet management (21%) or automated booking (20%), and 10% used computers for resource allocation. In addition to these general uses of computers, many departments use computers in an analytic capacity. For example, nearly half (46%) of departments, employing 49% of officers, used computers for the collection of data on traffic stops. Thirty-two percent of departments, employing 67% of all officers, used computers for crime analysis. This included a majority of the departments serving 25,000 or more residents. Nearly 3 in 10 departments, employing 46% of officers, used computers for intelligence gathering in 2003. This included more than half of departments serving 25,000 or more residents. In 2003, 19% of departments, including a majority of those serving 50,000 or more residents, used computers in conjunction with crime mapping. Departments using computers for crime mapping purposes employed 57% of all officers. Eleven percent of departments, including more than half of those serving a population of 100,000 or more, used computers to identify crime hotspots during 2003. Departments using computers for this purpose employed 45% of all officers. Computerized files In 2003 a majority of local police departments were maintaining computerized files on incident reports (83%), arrests (76%), traffic citations (70%), calls for service (68%), traffic accidents (67%), and stolen property (60%). All of these types of information were maintained in a computerized format by a majority of the departments in each population category of 2,500 or more. Nearly half of all departments maintained computerized files on warrants (48%), traffic stops (48%), and alarms (45%), and more than a third maintained computerized criminal history files (36%). A majority of the departments in each population category of 10,000 or more had computerized files with these types of information. About 3 in 10 departments maintained computerized information on use-of-force incidents (32%) and summonses (29%). A majority of the departments serving 50,000 or more residents had computerized use-of-force files, and about half of those serving 1 million or more residents had computerized summonses information. Ten percent of departments maintained computer files on intelligence related to terrorism in 2003. This included about 69% of the departments serving a population of 1,000,000 or more, and 46% of those serving 500,000 to 999,999 residents. Overall, fewer than 1 in 10 departments had computerized files on fingerprints (9%), illegal attempts to purchase firearms (5%), or biometric data for use in facial recognition (1%). However, a majority of the departments in jurisdictions with 100,000 or more residents had computerized fingerprint files. Less than half of local police officers worked for a department with computer files 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 recognition (4%). A majority of officers worked for a department that had computer files on all other types of information included in the 2003 LEMAS survey. Use of computers in the field A majority (56%) of local police departments used mobile computers or terminals in the field during 2003, including more than 80% of those serving 10,000 or more residents. Departments using infield computers or terminals employed 83% of all local police officers. Forty-four percent of departments, employing 79% of all officers, used vehicle-mounted computers in 2003. This included a majority of those serving 10,000 or more residents. Vehicle-mounted laptop computers were used by 30% of departments, employing 41% of all officers. Twenty percent of departments, employing 43% of officers, used vehicle-mounted digital/data terminals. Fifteen percent used vehicle-mounted digital/data computers. Thirty-eight percent of departments employing 57% of all officers, used portable (not vehicle-mounted) computers in 2003. This included a majority of all departments serving 10,000 or more residents. Portable laptops were the most common type of infield computer, used by 33% of all departments. These departments employed 50% of all officers. Less common were personal digital assistants (7%), portable digital/data terminals (6%), and portable digital/data computers (5%). The percentage of local police departments using infield computers or terminals in 2003 (56%) was significantly larger than in 2000 (40%), and it was about 11 times greater than in 1990 (5%). Likewise, the 83% of local police officers working for a department with infield computers or terminals in 2003 was higher than in 2000 (75%), and nearly 3 times that in 1990 (30%). From 1990 to 2003 large increases in local police use of infield computers and terminals have occurred in jurisdictions of all sizes. During this period, infield computer use among departments serving 250,000 or more residents increased from 56% to 98%; departments serving 50,000 to 249,999 residents, from 31% to 94%; departments serving 10,000 to 49,999 residents, from 9% to 81%; and departments serving fewer than 10,000 residents, from 2% to 46%. Thirty-three percent of local police departments used infield computers or terminals for writing field reports during 2003. These departments employed 34% of all officers. Eighteen percent of departments used them for at least some infield communications. These departments employed 49% of all officers. In more than a third of local police departments, at least some officers in the field could use computers to access vehicle records, driving records, and warrants during 2003. This included a majority of the departments serving a population of 10,000 or more residents. Departments using infield computers for these purposes employed more than 70% of all officers. In 23% of departments, employing 37% of all officers, infield computers could be used for the purpose of interagency information sharing. This included 63% of those departments serving a population of 250,000 to 499,999. In 22% of departments, employing 43% of all officers, infield computers or terminals could be used to access criminal history information. This included a majority of the departments serving 100,000 or more residents, and more than a third of those serving 10,000 to 99,999 residents. In 20% of departments, employing 39% of all officers, infield computers or terminals could be used to access repeat calls for service information. This included more than half of departments serving a population of 25,000 or more, and more than a quarter of those serving a population of 10,000 to 24,999. The percentage of local police officers employed by a department providing infield computer access to information has been on the increase since 1997 when LEMAS first began tracking this capability. Departments providing patrol officers with infield computer access to vehicle records employed 78% of all officers in 2003 compared to 67% in 2000 and 56% in 1997. Other types of information and the percentage of officers employed by a department providing infield access during 1997, 2000, and 2003 are as follows: driving records -- 51% in 1997, 58% in 2000, and 71% in 2003; criminal history records -- 25% in 1997, 29% in 2000, and 39% in 2003; calls for service records -- 23% in 1997, 37% in 2000, and 39% in 2003. Automated Fingerprint Identification In 2003, 62% percent of local police departments, employing 88% of officers, had access to an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) that included a file of digitized prints. For 51% of agencies, this access was through another agency. Five percent of departments had exclusive ownership of an AFIS. This included a majority of the departments serving 500,000 or more residents. Three percent of all departments had shared AFIS ownership. Four percent of departments, employing 13% of all officers, used an AFIS terminal with access to a remote system. Transmission of incident reports In 2003, 55% of local police departments used paper reports as the primary method to transmit criminal incident reports from the field to the agency's central information system. Computers and data devices were used by 38%, and 5% used telephone lines or wireless systems. From 1997 to 2003 use of paper reports to transmit criminal incident reports declined from 86% to 55%. During the same period use of computer and data devices increased from 9% to 38%, and use of telephone and wireless methods increased from 4% to 5%. From 2000 to 2003 an increase in the use of electronic methods of report submission was observed in all population categories. This continued the trend observed from 1997 to 2000. Among departments serving 250,000 or more residents, 33% used electronic methods in 2003, compared to 22% in 2000 and 12% in 1997. The percentage of departments in other population categories using electronic methods in 2003, 2000, and 1997 are as follows: 50,000 to 249,999 residents: 36%, 21% 20%; 10,000 to 49,999 residents: 54%, 33%, 12%; under 10,000 residents, 43%, 23%, 12%. Methodology The Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) survey collects data from a nationally representative sample of publicly funded State and local law enforcement agencies in the United States. This report presents data from the 2003 survey describing local police departments in terms of their personnel, expenditures and pay, operations, community policing initiatives, equipment, computers and information systems, and written policies. The 2003 LEMAS sample design called for the survey questionnaire to be mailed to 3,179 State and local law enforcement agencies. Twenty-five agencies were determined to be out-of-scope for the survey because they had closed, outsourced their operations, or were operating on a part-time basis, resulting in a final mailout total of 3,154 agencies. The initial mailing of the questionnaire was conducted in December 2003. The pay period containing June 30, 2000 was used as the reference date for all questions, unless otherwise noted. Allowing for the exclusion of special jurisdiction agencies and Texas constables, 955 law enforcement agencies in the United States with 100 or more sworn officers as of June 30, 2000, were included in the sample as self-representing (SR) agencies. This included 574 local police departments, 332 sheriffs' offices, and the 49 primary State law enforcement agencies. The self-representing (SR) agencies were supplemented by a nationally representative sample of agencies with fewer than 100 sworn personnel. These nonself-representing (NSR) agencies were chosen using a stratified random sample with cells based on the type of agency (local police or sheriff), size of population served, and number of sworn personnel. The 2,199 NSR agencies selected included 1,539 local police departments and 660 sheriffs' offices. A total of 2,859 agencies responded to the LEMAS questionnaire for a response rate of 90.6%. This included 904 SR agencies (94.7%) and 1,955 NSR agencies (88.9%). The final database includes responses from 1,947 local police departments, 863 sheriffs' offices, and the 49 primary State law enforcement agencies. The overall response rate for local police departments was 92.1%, for sheriffs' offices, 87.0%, and for the State law enforcement agencies, 100%. The base weight for all SR agencies is one. For NSR sheriffs' offices, it is four. For NSR local police departments, the base weights are determined by number of sworn personnel employed as reported in the 2000 BJS Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies. For agencies with 0 to 6 sworn officers, the base weight is 15.55; for 7 to 13 officers, 9.65; for 14 to 23 officers, 7.09; for 24 to 39 officers, 4.95; for 40 to 62 officers, 3.38; and for 63 to 99 officers, the base weight is 2.14. The final weight associated with every agency, both SR and NSR, is the product of the base weight, a factor that adjusted for changes in the universe since 2000, and a factor that adjusted for any nonresponding agencies in each cell. The final weight for all SR local police agencies is 1.034234, for SR sheriffs' offices it is 1.106667, and for the 49 primary State law enforcement agencies, it is 1. For NSR sheriffs' offices the final weight is 4.847247. For NSR local police departments, the final weights are as follows: agencies with 0 to 6 sworn officers, 20.355930; 7 to 13 officers, 10.925000; 14 to 23 officers, 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 fully complete the LEMAS questionnaire. When an agency did not supply a response to an item, hot deck imputation, median value imputation, or ratio imputation was used. Hot deck imputation uses the value reported by a randomly selected agency from the same sample cell. Median value imputation uses the median value of an item reported by agencies in the same sample cell. Ratio imputation uses the median value of a ratio reported by agencies in the same sample cell. Because the data from agencies with fewer than 100 sworn personnel were collected from a sample, the results are subject to sampling error. The survey data are also subject to response and processing errors. End of file 04/26/06 ih