U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics Local Police Departments, 2007 December 2010 NCJ 231174 Brian A. Reaves, Ph.D. BJS Statistician James P. Lynch, Director Brian A. Reaves prepared this report. Data were collected and processed by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) under the supervision of Bruce Taylor, Research Director. PERF project staff included Bruce Kubu, Project Director; Nathan Ballard; and Anthony Bellero. 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: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=1750 ---------------------------------------------------------- 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://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=1750 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://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbse&sid=35 ----------------------------------------------------------- Contents Highlights The LEMAS Survey Local Police Departments Employment Operating Costs Personnel Patrol and Response Equipment Computers and Information Systems Community Policing Task Force Participation Emergency Preparedness Methodology Tables Table 1. General purpose state and local law enforcement agencies, 2007 Table 2. Local police departments and full-time employees, by number of sworn personnel, 2007 Table 3. Local police departments and full-time employees, by size of population served, 2007 Table 4. Annual operating budget of local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 5. Education requirements for new officers in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 6. Training requirements for new officer recruits in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 7. Average base annual salary for selected full-time positions in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 8. Workplace policies of local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 9. Race and ethnicity of full-time sworn personnel in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 10. Gender of full-time sworn personnel in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 11. Emergency 9-1-1 system participation of local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 12. Types of regularly scheduled patrols other than automobile used by local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 13. Special population/situation policies of local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 14. Less-than-lethal weapons authorized for use by a majority of local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 15. Use-of-force policies and procedures in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 16. Body armor requirements for field officers in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 17. Motorized vehicles operated by local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 18. Off-land vehicles operated by local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 19. Use of animals by local police departments for law enforcement purposes, by size of population served, 2007 Table 20. Use of video cameras by local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 21. General functions of computers in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 22. Analytic functions of computers in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 23. Use of in-field computers and terminals by local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 24. Use of in-field computers for reports and communications by local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 25. Types of computerized information accessible to in-field officers in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 26. Methods used by local police departments for transmitting criminal incident reports to a central information system, by size of population served, 2007 Table 27. Community policing policies of local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 28. Community policing training for new officer recruits in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 29. Community-oriented policies for patrol officers in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 30. Community policing activities of local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 31. Full-time community policing officers and units in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 32. Full-time school resource officers in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 33. Drug task force participation of local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 34. Gang task force participation of local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 35. Human trafficking task force participation of local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 36. Anti-terrorism task force participation of local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Table 37. Preparedness activities of local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Appendix Tables Appendix Table 1. Fifty largest local police departments in the United States, by number of full-time sworn personnel, 2007 Appendix Table 2. Drug asset forfeiture receipts of local police departments, by size of population served, 2006 Appendix Table 3. Background and record check methods used in selection of new officer recruits in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Appendix Table 4. Personal attribute screening methods used in selection of new officer recruits in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Appendix Table 5. Physical attribute screening methods used in selection of new officer recruits in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Appendix Table 6. In-service training requirements for sworn personnel in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Appendix Table 7. Special pay and benefits for full-time sworn personnel in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Appendix Table 8. Local police officers assigned to respond to calls for service, by size of population served, 2007 Appendix Table 9. Wireless capabilities of emergency 9-1-1 systems in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Appendix Table 10. Types of sidearms authorized for use by sworn personnel in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Appendix Table 11. Types of batons authorized for use by sworn personnel in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Appendix Table 12. Less-than-lethal weapons or actions authorized for use by fewer than half of local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Appendix Table 13. Number of motorized land vehicles operated by local police departments and percent unmarked, by size of population served, 2007 Appendix Table 14. Vehicle use policies for sworn personnel in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Appendix Table 15. Automated fingerprint identification systems (AFIS) in local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Appendix Table 16. Types of in-field computers or terminals used by local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Appendix Table 17. Screening methods related to community policing used in selection of new officer recruits for local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Appendix Table 18. Full-time intelligence personnel in local police departments with primary duties related to terrorist activities, by size of population served, 2007 Appendix Table 19. Item non-response for local police department data in the 2007 LEMAS survey Appendix Table 20. Standard errors of the estimated percentages for local police departments, by size of population served , 2007 Appendix Table 21. Standard errors of the estimated personnel counts for local police departments, 2007 Appendix table 22. Standard errors for estimated operating budgets and starting salaries for entry-level officers in local police departments, 2007 Figures Figure 1. Per resident operating costs for local police departments, by size of population served, 2007 Figure 2. Local police officers employed by a department that used in-field computers, 1990-2007 Figure 3. Full-time employees of local police departments, 1987-2007 Figure 4. Per officer operating costs of local police departments, 2003 and 2007 Figure 5. Local police officers employed by a department using selected screening methods in the hiring process, 2003 and 2007 Figure 6. Training requirements for local police officer recruits, by size of population served, 2000, 2003, and 2007 Figure 7. Starting salaries for entry-level officers in local police departments, by size of population served and collective bargaining status, 2007 Figure 8. Local police officers employed by a department with selected workplace policies, 2007 Figure 9. Minority representation among local police officers, 1987-2007 Figure 10. Local police officers employed by a department with selected special population/situation policies, 2007 Figure 11. Local police departments using regularly scheduled foot or bicycle patrol, by size of population served, 1997-2007 Figure 12. Local police officers employed by a department with use-of-force policies and procedures, 2007 Figure 13. Use of conducted energy devices by local police departments, by size of population served, 2000, 2003, and 2007 Figure 14. Body armor requirements for field officers in local police departments, 1990-2007 Figure 15. Use of in-car video cameras by local police departments, by size of population served, 2000, 2003, and 2007 Figure 16. Local police departments using in-field computers or terminals, by size of population served, 1997-2007 Figure 17. Local police officers employed by a department providing in-field computer access to information, 1997-2007 Figure 18. Local police departments using electronic methods for transmitting criminal incident reports to a central information system, by size of population served, 1997-2007 Figure 19. Local police departments using full-time community policing officers, by size of population served,1997-2007 Figure 20. Local police officers employed by a department engaging in selected preparedness activities, 2007 Highlights Employment *The estimated 12,575 local police departments operating in the United States during 2007 employed approximately 463,000 full-time sworn personnel. *In 2007, the number of full-time civilian employees in local police departments was about 138,000. *Municipal and township police departments employed an average of 2.3 full-time officers per 1,000 residents in 2007. County police employed an average of 1.7 officers per 1,000 residents. Operating Budgets *Operating budgets of local police departments totaled $55.4 billion for fiscal year 2007 14% more than in 2003 after adjusting for inflation. *Overall local police operating costs for fiscal year 2007 were $116,500 per sworn officer, $88,200 per employee, and $260 per resident. *During 2006, about 1 in 3 local police departments received money, goods, or property from a drug asset forfeiture program, with more than $300 million in receipts overall. Officer Characteristics *In 2007, 1 in 8 local police officers was a woman compared to 1 in 13 officers in 1987. About 1 in 4 officers was a member of a racial or ethnic minority in 2007, compared to 1 in 6 in 1987. *From 2003 to 2007, the number of Hispanic or Latino local police officers increased by 16%. In 2007, about 1 in 10 officers was Hispanic or Latino. *In 2007, local police departments employed about 55,000 female officers. About 117,000 officers were members of a racial or ethnic minority. Officer Selection and Hiring *From 2003 to 2007, there was an increase in the percentage of officers employed by departments using personality inventories (47% to 66%), written aptitude tests (74% to 82%), and physical agility tests (80% to 86%) in the selection process. *During 2007, about 3 in 10 local police officers worked for a department requiring new officers to have some college education. This was about the same proportion as in 2003. *In 2007, local police recruits completed an average of 1,370 hours in required training. Compared to 2003, average training requirements were up by more than 100 hours in departments serving 250,000 or more residents. Officer Pay *2007, average starting salaries for entry-level local police officers ranged from $26,600 in the smallest jurisdictions to $49,500 in the largest. *Based on where officers were employed, the overall average starting salary for new local police officers in 2007 was an estimated $40,500. *Average starting salaries for sworn officers were $10,900 (38%) higher in departments with collective bargaining than in those without it. *A majority of departments serving 10,000 or more residents offered tuition reimbursement and education incentive pay to sworn personnel. Patrol and Response *Nearly 7 in 10 local police officers had regular duties that included responding to calls for service, ranging from 6 in 10 officers in jurisdictions with 100,000 or more residents to 9 in 10 officers in jurisdictions with fewer than 10,000 residents. *In addition to automobile patrol, more than half (55%) of local police departments used regularly scheduled foot patrol, and about a third (32%) used bicycle patrol. *In jurisdictions with fewer than 50,000 residents, the use of foot or bicycle patrols declined from 69% of departments in 2003 to 63% in 2007. About 9 in 10 local police 9-1-1 systems were enhanced with the capability of displaying a caller's name, address, and special needs. Most could also display the phone number (84%) and general location (62%) of wireless callers. Equipment *In 2007, 75% of local police officers were employed by departments that authorized the use of conducted energy devices such as Tasers, compared to 47% in 2003. *Sixty-one percent of local police departments used video cameras in patrol cars during 2007, compared to 55% in 2003. About 71,000 in-car cameras were in use during 2007, compared to 49,000 used in 2003. *In 2007, 67% of local police officers were employed by a department that required them to wear protective body armor at all times while in the field, up from 59% in 2003. Computers and Information Systems *More than 90% of local police departments serving 25,000 or more residents were using in-field computers during 2007. *In 2007 about 9 in 10 local police officers were employed by a department that used in-field computers, compared to 3 in 10 officers in 1990 (figure 2). *From 2003 to 2007, there was an increase in the percentage of local police officers employed by a department with in-field computer access to vehicle records (78% to 86%), driving records (71% to 80%), calls-for-service histories (39% to 65%), and criminal histories (39% to 56%). *In 2007, most local police departments serving 25,000 or more residents used computers for crime mapping. About 3 in 4 officers worked for a department with computerized crime mapping in 2007, compared to 3 in 5 during 2003. *From 2003 to 2007, the percentage of local police departments using electronic methods to transmit incident reports from the field increased from 38% to 60%. Community Policing *From 2003 to 2007, the percentage of local police officers employed by a department that trained all new recruits in community policing increased from 73% to 81%. *A majority of local police departments serving 50,000 or more residents operated a full-time specialized unit dedicated to community policing during 2007. *During 2007, a majority of local police departments serving 50,000 or more residents supported community policing efforts by partnering with citizen groups, upgrading technology, and conducting a citizen police academy. *An estimated 47,000 full-time local police officers were designated as community policing officers in 2007, about 8,000 fewer than in 2003. Most of this decline occurred among departments serving fewer than 50,000 residents. Task Force Participation *About 13,400 local police officers were assigned full-time or part-time to a multi-agency drug task force. A majority of local police departments serving 10,000 or more residents had officers assigned to a drug task force. *About 4,600 local police officers were assigned full time or part time to a multi-agency gang task force. Most departments serving 100,000 or more residents had officers assigned to a gang task force. Emergency Preparedness *During 2007, more than two-thirds of local police departments serving 10,000 or more residents had a written plan specifying actions to be taken in the event of a terrorist attack. *As part of their efforts to prevent terrorist acts during 2007, a majority of local police departments serving 10,000 or more residents increased the presence of sworn officers in critical areas. *During 2007, about 4,000 full-time sworn personnel in local police departments were employed in intelligence positions with primary duties related to terrorist activities. The LEMAS Survey Every 3 to 4 years, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) surveys a nationally representative sample of state and local law enforcement agencies. The surveys are conducted as part of the Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) program. This report presents data from the 2007 LEMAS survey describing local police departments in terms of their personnel, budgets, operations, policies and procedures, computers and information systems, and equipment. Comparisons are made with prior years where appropriate, and as data are available. The selected local police sample includes all departments employing 100 or more full-time sworn personnel and a systematic random sample of smaller agencies stratified by size. (See Methodology for more information.) The sample was selected from a BJS census of law enforcement agencies (see Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, 2004, BJS Web, 28 June 2007). Because sampling was used for smaller agencies, some of the statistics presented in the report are subject to sampling error. Statements of comparison have been tested at the 95%-confidence level. (See standard error tables in appendix.) In order to compare departments with others serving similar sized jurisdictions, the statistics in this report are presented mainly by categories of population served. Because most departments employ small numbers of officers and serve small populations, overall agency-based percentages tend to reflect smaller departments more than larger ones. To adjust for this effect, additional overall percentages weighted by the number of officers employed are presented in the text and selected figures. (See Methodology.) Local Police Departments According to the 2004 BJS Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, nearly all local police departments were operated at the sub-county level by individual municipal (85%) or township (13%) governments. A total of 154 were operated by tribal governments, 63 by multiple local governments as regional or joint police departments, and 56 by county governments. Local police departments perform a wide range of functions. Some of the law enforcement functions typically performed, regardless of jurisdiction size, include first response to criminal incidents, response to calls for service, patrol, crime investigation, arrest of criminal suspects, execution of warrants, traffic enforcement, traffic direction and control, accident investigation, drug enforcement, parking enforcement, and crime prevention education. For more information on functions performed by local police, see Local Police Departments, 2003, BJS Web, 1 April 2006. Employment As of September 2007, the estimated 12,575 local police departments in the United States employed about 601,000 persons on a full-time basis (table 1). Local police departments employed about 463,000 full-time sworn personnel in 2007 About 463,000 (77% of total) local police department employees were sworn personnel with full arrest powers. Departments employed about 54,000 persons on a part-time basis. Nearly half of these part-time employees were sworn officers. From 1987 (the first year of the LEMAS survey) to 2007, the number of full-time local police employees increased by an estimated 152,000 (34%) or an average of 1.7% annually (figure 3). The number of full-time sworn officers increased by about 108,000 (30%) during this period. The number of full-time civilian employees increased by about 44,000 (47%) from 94,000 to 138,000. From 2003 to 2007, the total number of full-time local police employees increased by about 20,300 (3.5%). During this period, local police employment of sworn personnel increased by about 11,400 (2.5%) and employment of civilians rose by about 8,900 (7%). (These changes were not statistically significant at the 95%-confidence level.) Municipal and township police departments employed an average of 2.3 officers per 1,000 residents County police departments employed an average of 1.7 full-time officers for every 1,000 residents served. Municipal and township police departments, which comprise 98% of local police departments, employed an average of 2.3 full-time officers per 1,000 residents in 2007, down from 2.5 per 1,000 in 2003. As in 2003, departments serving 25,000 to 99,999 residents had the lowest average ratio in 2007 (1.8 per 1,000). Half of local police departments employed fewer than 10 full-time officers Nationwide, 624 (5% of total) local police departments employed at least 100 sworn personnel (table 2). The New York City Police Department was the largest, with 35,216 officers. (See appendix table 1 for a list of the 50 largest local police departments.) Half of all departments employed fewer than 10 officers, including 652 departments (5%) with the equivalent of just 1 officer. While departments with fewer than 10 officers accounted for 50% of departments, they employed just 5% of officers. The majority of full-time local police officers (61%) were employed by departments with at least 100 sworn personnel, and a third of officers were employed by departments with at least 1,000 sworn personnel. Three-fourths of local police departments served fewer than 10,000 residents A similar pattern is observed when departments are grouped by population size. About three-fourths (73%) of departments served fewer than 10,000 residents, but these departments employed just 14% of all officers (table 3). About half (51%) of local police officers were employed in jurisdictions with 100,000 or more residents. Operating Costs Collectively, local police departments cost about $55.4 billion to operate during fiscal 2007 (table 4). This was 14% more than in 2003 after adjusting for inflation (see Methodology). (These figures do not include capital expenditures such as major equipment purchases or construction projects.) Local police departments cost $260 per resident to operate during 2007 Compared to the overall annual operating cost per resident of $260, departments serving a population of 1 million or more cost nearly 50% more to operate $385 per resident. Departments serving a population of fewer than 50,000 had the lowest per resident cost less than $220. Overall, operating budgets averaged about $4.4 million per department for 2007, ranging from about $849 million for departments serving a population of 1 million or more, to $263,000 for departments serving fewer than 2,500 residents. Local police departments cost $116,500 per officer to operate during 2007 When both sworn and nonsworn personnel are included, the average annual operating budget for local police departments was about $88,000 per employee. Operating costs ranged from near $100,000 per employee in jurisdictions with 50,000 to 999,999 residents to $49,400 per employee in jurisdictions with fewer than 2,500 residents. When nonsworn personnel are excluded, local police departments cost $116,500 per officer to operate for 2007. Per officer costs ranged from more than $130,000 per officer for departments serving 50,000 to 999,999 residents, to $56,400 per officer in jurisdictions with a population under 2,500. After controlling for inflation, per officer operating costs for 2007 were $10,900 (10%) higher than in 2003 (figure 4). (This difference was not statistically significant at the 95%-confidence level.) The smallest increase both in terms of dollars and percentage occurred in jurisdictions with 10,000 to 49,999 residents, where costs rose by $6,800 (7%). The largest dollar increase, about $14,700, occurred in jurisdictions with 50,000 to 249,999 residents. The largest percentage increase, 15%, was observed in jurisdictions with fewer than 10,000 residents. A majority of local police departments serving 10,000 or more residents had drug asset forfeiture receipts during 2006 During 2006, an estimated 33% of local police departments, employing 78% of officers, supplemented their operating budget with proceeds from a drug asset forfeiture program (appendix table 2). Overall, departments received money, goods, or property worth $307.5 million. Average total receipts ranged from nearly $3 million among departments serving 1 million or more residents to less than $40,000 for departments serving fewer than 25,000 residents. Personnel Nearly all (98%) local police departments had a minimum education requirement for new officers (table 5). The most common requirement (82% of departments) was a high school diploma. About 3 in 10 local police officers worked for a department that required new hires to have some college education An estimated 16% of departments had some type of college requirement, including 9% with a 2-year degree requirement. In 2007 the percentage of officers employed by a department with a college requirement for new officers (29%) was about the same as in 2003 (33%), and about 3 times as high as in 1990 (10%). All departments used criminal record checks, and about 99% used background investigations and driving record checks during the officer hiring process (appendix table 3). Credit history checks were used by 61% of departments, including more than 90% of those serving 25,000 or more residents. Nearly all departments serving 25,000 or more residents used psychological evaluations to screen applicants for sworn positions Personal interviews (99%) were used almost universally by departments in the officer hiring process (appendix table 4). Interviews were supplemented by a psychological evaluation in 72% of departments, including more than 98% of those serving 25,000 or more residents. Nearly half of departments used written aptitude tests (48%) and personality inventories (46%) to screen applicants. Among departments serving 25,000 or more residents, more than 80% used written aptitude tests, and more than 60% used personality inventories. Screening methods related to physical attributes were also common (appendix table 5). Medical exams were used by 89% of departments, including all serving 25,000 or more residents. Drug tests were used by 83% of departments including more than 95% of those serving 25,000 or more residents. Physical agility tests were used by 60% of departments, including about 90% of those serving 25,000 or more residents. Local police officers hired in 2007 were subjected to more screening methods than those hired in 2003 In 2007, nearly all local police officers were employed by a department that used criminal record checks (100%), background investigations (99.8%), driving record checks (99.8%), medical exams (98.3%), personal interviews (98.2%), drug tests (95.4%), and psychological evaluations (94.8%) in the selection process. For each screening method included in the LEMAS survey, the percentage of officers employed by a department using that method remained stable or increased between 2003 and 2007 (figure 5). The largest increases were for personality inventories (from 47% of officers in 2003 to 66% of officers in 2007), credit history checks (70% to 83%), written aptitude tests (74% to 82%), and physical agility tests (80% to 86%). In the largest jurisdictions, local police recruits were required to complete more than 1,700 hours of training Upon selection, new local police recruits were typically required to complete extensive classroom and field training. In jurisdictions with 500,000 or more residents, average requirements exceeded 1,700 hours compared to about 700 hours in the smallest jurisdictions (table 6). (For greater detail on basic law enforcement training, see State and Local Law Enforcement Training Academies, 2006, BJS Web, 26 February 2009.) Based on where officers were employed, the average training requirement for local police recruits was 1,370 hours. Ninety-two percent of local police departments had an annual in-service training requirement for non-probationary officers, including all of those serving a population of 250,000 or more. Overall, the average annual in-service requirement was 35 hours (appendix table 6). From 2003 to 2007, average training requirements increased by about 100 hours in larger jurisdictions From 2003 to 2007 average training requirements for local police recruits in jurisdictions with 250,000 or more residents increased by 105 hours, from 1,543 to 1,648 hours (figure 6). In jurisdictions with fewer than 250,000 residents, the average number of training hours required was about the same in 2007 as in 2003. Average starting salaries for entry-level officers were 1.2% higher in 2007 than in 2003 after adjusting for inflation Minimum starting salaries for entry-level local police officers averaged $49,500 in the largest jurisdictions, compared to $26,600 in the smallest (table 7). When weighted by size of department, starting salaries for entry-level officers averaged about $40,500 in 2007. This was $5,000 (14%) more than in 2003. The inflation-adjusted 4-year increase was 1.2%. (See Methodology for information about the calculation to adjust dollars for inflation.) The average base starting salary for local police chiefs was $58,200, ranging from $164,000 in jurisdictions with 1 million or more residents to $38,300 in those with a population under 2,500. Minimum starting salaries for first-line supervisors (sergeant or equivalent) averaged $78,800 in jurisdictions with 1 million or more residents, and at least $60,000 in all other population categories of 25,000 or more. Officer starting salaries were 38% higher in departments with collective bargaining The average starting salary for entry-level officers was higher in departments with collective bargaining ($39,263) than in those without it ($28,376). This pattern existed in all population categories, ranging from a difference of about $6,000 in the largest jurisdictions to $9,000 in the smallest (figure 7). Nationwide, 38% of local police departments, employing 66% of all officers, authorized collective bargaining for officers (appendix table 7). This included at least 62% of the departments in each population category of 10,000 or more. About 7 in 10 local police officers worked for a department that offered tuition reimbursement The base salaries earned by local police officers were sometimes supplemented by special pay and other financial benefits (appendix table 7). For example, 37% of departments, employing 72% of all officers, offered tuition reimbursement to officers, and 32% of departments, employing 55% of officers, offered education incentive pay. A majority of departments serving 10,000 or more residents offered these two types of benefits. Other types of special pay offered by local police departments included merit pay (23% of departments, employing 31% of all officers), shift differential pay (21%, 56%), special skills pay (16%, 36%), military service pay (13%, 41%), hazardous duty pay (6%, 27%) and bilingual ability pay (6%, 27%). ---------------------------------------------------------- Workplace policies for sworn personnel Local police departments typically maintained a variety of written policies and procedures pertaining to workplace issues during 2007. For example, all departments serving a population of 10,000 or more had a written code of conduct and appearance for officers (table 8). More than 95% of these departments also had an off-duty conduct policy. At least 98% of the departments in each population category of 10,000 or more had policies on off-duty employment, and at least 70% of the departments in each of these categories had a policy on the maximum number of work hours allowed for officers. Overall, nearly all local police officers were employed by a department with a code of conduct and appearance (99%), and policies pertaining to off-duty employment (97%) and conduct (97%) (figure 8). About 9 in 10 officers were employed by a department with a policy on employee counseling (91%). About 3 in 4 officers were employed by a department with a policy on maximum work hours (75%). ----------------------------------------------------------- About 1 in 4 local police officers were members of a racial or ethnic minority In 2007, about 1 in 4 full-time local police officers were members of a racial or ethnic minority (table 9). The estimated 117,113 minority officers employed in 2007 represented an increase of about 10,500 (10%) over 2003. From 2003 to 2007, minority representation among local police officers increased from 23.6% to 25.3%. In 1987, minorities comprised 14.6% of officers (figure 9). An estimated 55,267 black or African American officers were employed by local police departments in 2007. This was about 2,400 (5%) more than in 2003. In 2007, the percentage of officers who were black (11.9%) was about the same as in 2003 (11.7%). In 1987, blacks comprised 9.3% of officers. From 2003 to 2007, the number of Hispanic local police officers rose 16% An estimated 47,678 Hispanic or Latino officers were employed by local police departments in 2007. This was about 6,600 (16%) more than in 2003. From 2003 to 2007, the percentage of officers who were Hispanic rose from 9.1% to 10.3%. In 1987, 4.5% of officers were Hispanic. In 2007, an estimated 12,564 officers were members of other minority groups including Asians, Pacific Islanders, and American Indians--about the same number as in 2003. These groups comprised 2.7% of local police officers in 2007, about the same percentage as in 2003 (2.8%), but more than in 1987 (0.8%). About 1 in 8 local police officers was a woman In 2007, about 1 in 8 full-time sworn personnel in local police departments were women (table 10). The estimated 55,305 female officers employed in 2007 represented an increase of about 4,300 (8%) from 2003. During this time, female representation increased from 11.3% to 11.9%. By comparison, women comprised 7.6% of officers in 1987. With the exception of Hispanic or Latino officers, changes from 2003 to 2007 in the percentage or number of officers by race and gender were not significant at the 95%-confidence level. Patrol and Response About 2 in 3 local police officers had regularly assigned duties that included responding to calls for service In 2007, two-thirds of full-time local police officers had regularly assigned duties that included responding to calls for service (appendix table 8). The proportion of officers assigned to respond to calls ranged from about 6 in 10 among departments serving 100,000 or more residents, to about 9 in 10 among departments serving fewer than 10,000 residents. About 9 in 10 local police officers worked for a department with an enhanced 9-1-1 system An estimated 91% of local police departments participated in an emergency 9-1-1 system during 2007 (table 11). At least 96% of the departments in each population category of 10,000 or more were 9-1-1 participants, including all serving 250,000 or more residents. About 3 in 4 departments used enhanced 9-1-1 systems, capable of displaying information such as a caller's phone number, address, and special needs. This included 90% or more in each population category of 25,000 or more. In 2007, most local police 9-1-1 systems could display the phone number (84%) and general location (62%) of wireless callers (appendix table 9). An estimated 97% of local police officers worked for a department with some type of 9-1-1 system during 2007, and 90% were employed by a department with an enhanced 9-1-1 system. Both percentages were about the same as in 2003. A majority of departments serving 25,000 or more residents had regularly scheduled foot and/or bicycle patrols All but a few local police departments used regularly scheduled automobile patrols during 2007. A majority (55%) also used routine foot patrols, including about 9 in 10 departments serving a population of 1 million or more, and about 8 in 10 departments serving a population of 250,000 to 999,999 (table 12). About a third (32%) of departments used regularly scheduled bicycle patrols. A majority of departments serving 25,000 or more residents used bicycle patrols, including all of those serving 500,000 or more residents. Motorcycle patrols were the next most common type of regularly scheduled patrol, used by about 1 in 6 departments. More than 90% of the departments serving 100,000 or more residents used motorcycle patrols on a regular basis. Other types of routine patrol included marine (4% of departments), transporter (such as a Segway) (2%), horse (1%), and air (1%). A majority of the departments serving 500,000 or more residents used marine patrol on a routine basis, and a majority of those serving 250,000 or more residents used horse and air patrols regularly. ----------------------------------------------------------- Policies and procedures pertaining to special populations or situations An estimated 91% of local police departments, employing 98% of all officers, had written policies and procedures for dealing with domestic disputes (table 13, figure 10). Many departments also had written policies pertaining to specific sub-groups of the community. Most common were policies on dealing with juveniles (90% of departments, employing 98% of officers). Many departments also had policies on dealing with mentally ill persons (69% employing 89%). About a third of departments, employing just over half of all officers, had policies on dealing with homeless persons (34% employing 51%) and persons with limited English-speaking ability (32% employing 58%). An estimated 67% of departments, employing 85% of officers, had a written racial profiling policy. Nearly all departments serving 250,000 or more residents and about 8 in 10 departments serving 25,000 to 249,999 residents had such a policy. ------------------------------------------------------------ From 2003 to 2007, use of foot and bicycle patrols declined in jurisdictions with fewer than 50,000 residents A smaller percentage of departments used regularly scheduled foot or bicycle patrols in 2007 (63%) than in 2003 (69%). The percentage of local police officers employed by a department using these types of patrol declined slightly, from 86% to 83%. The overall decline from 2003 to 2007 in the number of departments using foot or bike patrol can be attributed primarily to departments serving fewer than 50,000 residents: in jurisdictions with 10,000 to 49,999 residents, the percentage using foot or bike patrol dropped from 72% to 64%, and in jurisdictions with fewer than 10,000 residents, the percentage dropped from 67% to 61% (figure 11). The percentage of departments using foot or bike patrol remained about the same in jurisdictions with 50,000 or more residents. Equipment All local police departments authorized semiautomatics as a primary sidearm for patrol officers during 2007. Twenty-two percent of departments authorized revolvers as a primary sidearm (appendix table 10). Pepper spray and batons were authorized by nearly all local police departments Nearly all departments authorized officers to use one or more types of less-than-lethal weapons during 2007. Most commonly authorized was pepper spray (97% of departments, employing 98% of all officers) (table 14). Batons were authorized by 93% of departments, employing 98% of all officers. Collapsible batons (88%) were authorized by more departments than traditional (45%) or PR-24 (36%) batons (appendix table 11). An estimated 92% of officers worked for a department authorizing collapsible batons, compared to 53% for traditional batons and 38% for PR-24 batons. An estimated 60% of departments, employing 75% of officers, authorized conducted energy devices (CEDs), such as Tasers or stun guns. At least two-thirds of the departments in each population category of 10,000 or more authorized CEDs. An estimated 28% of departments, employing 44% of all officers, authorized the use of soft projectiles (appendix table 12). This included a majority of the departments serving a population of 25,000 or more. Fifteen percent of departments, employing 23% of all officers, authorized the use of neck restraints or holds. An estimated 75% of local police officers worked for a department that authorized CEDs in 2007, compared to 47% in 2003 Previous LEMAS surveys recorded substantial increases in the number of local police departments authorizing the use of pepper spray from 1990 to 2003. In 1990, 72% of officers were employed by a department that authorized its use. By 2003, nearly all officers worked for a department authorizing it. This remained true in 2007. ---------------------------------------------------------- Use-of-force policies and procedures Nearly all local police departments had written policies pertaining to the use of lethal (97%) and less-than-lethal (96%) force by their officers (table 15). Just 0.2% of local police officers, all in small jurisdictions, were employed by a department without a written deadly force policy, and 0.7% by a department without a written policy on less-than-lethal force (figure 12). When citizens filed complaints about use of force, 31% of departments required that the complaint be reviewed outside the chain of command of the involved officer(s). Most departments serving 250,000 or more residents had this requirement, and 55% of all officers worked for a department with such a policy. Overall, 8% of departments, employing 33% of officers, had a citizen complaint review board (CCRB) in their jurisdiction that examined use-of-force complaints. A majority of departments serving 500,000 or more residents had a CCRB. About 4% of departments, employing 21% of officers, were served by an independent CCRB possessing full investigative authority with subpoena powers. ------------------------------------------------------------ A more recent trend in less-than-lethal weapons has been an increasing number of departments authorizing the use of conducted energy devices. In 2007, 60% of local police departments authorized these types of weapons, up from 23% in 2003 and 7% in 2000. In 2007, 75% of officers worked for a department that authorized CEDs, compared to 47% in 2003 and 24% in 2000. From 2003 to 2007, large increases in the use of CEDs occurred in all population categories (figure 13). Among departments serving 250,000 or more residents, the percentage authorizing CEDs increased from 54% to 89%; 50,000 to 249,999 residents, from 47% to 77%; 10,000 to 49,999 residents, from 34% to 68%; and under 10,000 residents, from 18% to 56%. About 2 in 3 local police departments required officers to wear protective armor at all times while in the field In 2007, 75% of local police departments required field officers to wear protective body armor at least some of the time while on duty (table 16). Sixty-five percent of departments required field officers to wear armor at all times. An estimated 80% of local police officers were employed by a department with some type of armor requirement in 2007, compared to 74% in 2003 and 30% in 1990 (figure 14). The percentage of officers employed by a department with an armor requirement for all field officers in all circumstances, was 67% in 2007, compared to 59% in 2003 and 25% in 1990. Local police departments operated about 60 cars per 100 officers During 2007, local police departments collectively operated an estimated 286,000 cars, or 60 cars per 100 officers (table 17). About a third (34%) of local police cars were unmarked (appendix table 13). A majority (60%) of departments also used other 4-wheel motorized vehicles such as sport utility vehicles, trucks, and vans. This included all departments serving 25,000 or more residents. Eighteen percent of departments used motorcycles, including all serving a population of 100,000 or more. In 2007, 50% of departments, employing 51% of all officers, allowed sworn personnel to take marked vehicles home for commuting purposes (appendix table 14). Overall, 19% of departments, employing 27% of officers, allowed vehicles to be used for personal errands. A majority of local police departments serving 250,000 or more residents operated at least one helicopter An estimated 6% of departments, employing 39% of officers, operated at least one boat during 2007 (table 18). This included a majority of those serving 500,000 or more residents. Nationwide, local police operated an estimated 1,350 boats. One percent of departments, employing 34% of all officers, used helicopters. A majority of departments serving 250,000 or more residents used helicopters. An estimated 312 local police helicopters were in use nationwide in 2007. Fewer than 1% of local police departments, employing 8% of all officers, operated airplanes, with 40 in use nationwide. More than a third (38%) of departments serving 1 million or more residents operated at least 1 airplane. For more information on the use of airplanes and helicopters by local police, see Aviation Units in Large Law Enforcement Agencies, 2007, BJS Web, 9 July 2009. Local police departments used about 8,000 dogs and 1,200 horses for law enforcement purposes during 2007 Twenty-nine percent of local police departments, employing 77% of all officers, used dogs for law enforcement activities during 2007 (table 19). This included all departments serving 250,000 or more residents, and a majority of those serving 10,000 to 249,999 residents. Overall, about 8,000 dogs were involved in the activities of local police departments in 2007. About 1% of departments, employing 34% 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 nearly 1,200 horses during 2007. Most departments serving 500,000 or more residents used fixed-site surveillance cameras An estimated 66% of local police departments, employing 74% of all officers, used video cameras on a regular basis during 2007 (table 20). Thirteen percent of departments used video cameras for fixed-site surveillance, including a majority of those serving a population of 500,000 or more. Among departments using such cameras, the average number in use ranged from 3 in the smallest jurisdictions to more than 200 in the largest. Nine percent of departments used video cameras for mobile surveillance, including a majority of those serving 1 million or more residents. Among departments using cameras for this purpose, the average number of cameras in use ranged from 2 in departments serving fewer than 100,000 residents to 26 in those serving a population of 500,000 or more. About 3 in 5 local police departments used video cameras in patrol cars Video cameras were most commonly used in patrol cars. An estimated 61% of departments used in-car cameras in 2007 compared to 55% in 2003. The estimated 71,000 in-car cameras in use during 2007 was about 22,000 (45%) more than in 2003. By population category, the average number in use ranged from 3 in the smallest jurisdictions to more than 200 in jurisdictions with 500,000 to 999,999 residents. From 2003 to 2007, the percentage of departments using in-car cameras increased in all population categories: from 46% to 51% among departments serving 250,000 or more residents, 54% to 60% among departments serving 50,000 to 249,999 residents, 61% to 64% among departments serving 10,000 to 49,999 residents, and from 54% to 61% among departments serving fewer than 10,000 residents (figure 15). Computers and Information Systems Local police departments used computers for a wide variety of functions during 2007. More than 90% of departments serving 25,000 or more residents used computers for dispatch Local police departments' uses of computers included general records management (79%), and maintaining personnel records (53%) (table 21). Computers were also used by some departments for fleet management (27%), and resource allocation (20%) purposes. Computers also helped many departments support operational functions such as crime investigation (60%), dispatch (49%), and booking (32%). For each general or operational function included in the LEMAS survey, more officers were employed by a department using computers to perform that function during 2007 than 2003: records management (91%, 80%), dispatch (86%, 72%), crime investigation (85%, 71%), personnel records (77%, 64%), information sharing (76%, 53%), fleet management (68%, 52%), automated booking (61%, 48%), and resource allocation (57%, 36%). More than 90% of departments serving 25,000 or more residents had access to an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) Seventy percent of local police departments, employing 91% of officers, had access to an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) that included a file of digitized prints compared to 62% and 88% in 2003 (appendix table 15). Eleven percent of departments, employing 46% of all officers, had exclusive or shared ownership of an AFIS system in 2007. This included a majority of the departments serving 100,000 or more residents. A majority of departments serving 25,000 or more residents used computers for crime analysis and crime mapping A majority of departments serving 25,000 or more residents used computers in an analytic capacity related to intelligence gathering, crime analysis, analyzing community problems, and crime mapping (table 22). Overall, 40% of departments used computers for intelligence gathering and 38% for crime analysis. About a fourth of departments used computers for the analysis of community problems (28%) and crime mapping (27%). Thirteen percent of departments, including more than half of those serving a population of 50,000 or more, used computers to identify crime hotspots during 2007. As with general and operational computer functions, more officers worked for a department using computers for analytic functions in 2007 than in 2003: crime analysis (80% in 2007, 67% in 2003), crime mapping (75% in 2007, 57% in 2003), intelligence gathering (72% in 2007, 46% in 2003), analysis of community problems (64% in 2007, 52% in 2003), hotspot identification (58% in 2007, 45% in 2003). More than 90% of departments serving 25,000 or more residents used in-field computers A majority of the local police departments in each population category of 2,500 or more were using in-field computers or terminals during 2007, including more than 90% of those serving a population of 25,000 or more (table 23). Overall, 59% of departments, employing 89% of all officers, used in-field computers or terminals. Nationwide, departments using in-field computers operated about 37 for every 100 sworn officers. (See appendix table 16 for types of in-field computers used.) About half (52%) of departments used in-field computers or terminals for writing field reports during 2007, and about a third (35%) used them for communications (table 24). A majority of the departments serving 10,000 or more residents used in-field computers for these purposes. Departments using in-field computers to produce field reports employed 65% of all officers in 2007, compared to 34% in 2003, and those using computers for communications purposes employed 72% of officers in 2007, compared to 49% in 2003. Most local police officers were employed by a department providing them with in-field computer access to vehicle, driving, calls-for-service, and criminal records In 2007 about half of local police departments provided officers with in-field computer access to vehicle records (52%), driving records (48%), and warrants (48%) (table 25). This included more than 80% of the departments in each population category of 25,000 or more. Departments using in-field computers for these purposes employed 89% of all officers. In about a third of departments, in-field computers or terminals could be used to access calls-for-service (34%) and criminal history (32%) records. The third included a majority of the departments serving 25,000 or more residents. Departments with in-field access to calls-for-service records employed 73% of officers, and those with access to criminal histories employed 63%. Local police officers were about 3 times as likely to work for a department using in-field computers in 2007 (89%) as in 1990 (30%) The percentage of local police departments using in-field computers or terminals in 2007 (59%) was slightly more than in 2003 (56%) and about 12 times greater than in 1990 (5%). Likewise, the 89% of local police officers working for a department with in-field computers or terminals in 2007 was slightly higher than in 2003 (83%) and about 3 times the percentage reported in 1990 (30%). From 2003 to 2007, slight increases in local police use of in-field computers and terminals occurred in most population categories (figure 16). In-field computer use among departments serving 250,000 or more residents increased from 98% to 99%. In departments serving 50,000 to 249,999 residents, use increased from 94% to 97%; in departments serving 10,000 to 49,999 residents, use increased from 81% to 82%; and in departments serving fewer than 10,000 residents, use increased from 46% to 50%. The percentage of local police officers employed by a department providing in-field computer access to critical information has also been on the increase since 1997 when LEMAS first began tracking this capability. In 2007, departments providing patrol officers with in-field computer access to vehicle records employed 86% of all officers in 2007, compared to 78% in 2003 (figure 17). Other types of information and the percentage of officers employed by a department providing in-field access during 2007 and 2003 are as follows: driving records 80% in 2007, 71% in 2003; calls-for-service records 65% in 2007, 39% in 2003; criminal history records 56% in 2007; 39% in 2003. From 2003 to 2007, the percentage of departments using electronic methods to transmit criminal incident reports to headquarters increased from 38% to 60% In 2007, 60% of local police departments primarily used computers and data devices for transmitting criminal incident reports from the field to their central information system (table 26). Paper reports were used by 36% of departments, and 4% used voice transmission methods such as a telephone or radio. Continuing a trend observed in past LEMAS surveys, the 36% of departments using paper reports to transmit criminal incidents represented a decrease from 2003, when 55% used this method. During the same period, use of computer and data devices increased from 38% to 60%. From 2003 to 2007 an increase in the use of electronic (non-paper) methods of report transmission was observed in all population categories (figure 18). Among departments serving 250,000 or more residents, 53% used electronic methods in 2007 compared to 33% in 2003. The percentage of departments in other population categories using electronic methods in 2007 and 2003 respectively, are as follows: 50,000 to 249,999 residents 61% in 2007, 36% in 2003; 10,000 to 49,999 residents 70% in 2007, 54% in 2003; under 10,000 residents 57% in 2007, 43% in 2003. Community Policing Balancing responsiveness to calls for service with proactive problem solving is a primary goal of effective community policing. The community policing approach requires that police and citizens join together to identify and address underlying causes of crime and disorder. The Justice Department's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) defines three major components: (1) collaborative police-community partnerships; (2) support from agency management, structure, personnel, and information systems; and (3) a problem-solving process that develops and rigorously evaluates effective responses. For more information on community policing, see the COPS Office website at . The LEMAS survey began tracking community policing personnel, activities, and policies in 1997, in response to COPS funding programs that were impacting local law enforcement agencies. (See Community Policing in Local Police Departments, 1997 and 1999, BJS Web, 25 February 2001.) About half of local police officers worked in a department with a written community policing plan A local police department's commitment to community policing can be measured to some extent at the management level by the presence of written objectives and policies. For example, 53% of departments, employing 81% of officers, had an agency mission statement that included a community policing component in 2007 (table 27), compared to 47% of departments employing 73% of officers in 2003. A commitment to community policing may be more evident in departments with a formal, written community policing plan. In 2007, 16% of departments, employing 48% of officers, had such a plan. This included about two-thirds of those serving 250,000 or more residents and nearly half of those serving 50,000 to 249,999 residents. In 2003, 14% of departments, employing 44% of officers, had a written community policing plan. Nearly half of officers worked in a department that screened recruits for analytical problem-solving ability Some departments assessed applicants' suitability for community policing activities during the selection and hiring process. For example, 29% of departments, employing 46% of all officers, screened applicants for analytical problem-solving ability (appendix table 17). This included a majority of departments serving a population of 250,000 or more. Most local police departments serving 10,000 or more residents trained all new recruits in community policing The practice of training at least some new recruits in community policing skills such as problem-solving and developing community partnerships increased to 56% of departments employing 83% of officers in 2007, up from 39% and 72% in 2003 (table 28). In 2007, 44% of departments, employing 70% of all officers, trained all new recruits in community policing, compared to 31% and 67% in 2003. Most departments serving 50,000 or more residents actively encouraged officers to participate in problem-solving projects More than 80% of departments serving a population of 50,000 or more and a majority of the departments serving 10,000 to 49,999 residents used geographic assignments for patrol officers (table 29). About 60% of the departments serving 50,000 or more residents also actively encouraged officers to become involved in community problem solving projects. More than 4 in 5 departments serving 50,000 or more residents partnered with citizen groups during 2007 Local police departments engaged in various community policing activities during 2007. For example, 38% of departments, employing 75% of officers, partnered with citizen groups to elicit feedback for developing community policing strategies (table 30). This included a majority of departments serving a population of 10,000 or more, and at least 80% of the departments in each population category of 50,000 or more. An estimated 25% of departments, employing 57% of officers, upgraded technology during 2007 to support the analysis of community problems. This included a majority of departments serving a population of 50,000 or more. Fifteen percent of departments, employing 60% of all officers, conducted a citizen police academy during 2007. This included a majority of departments serving a population of 50,000 or more, and at least 80% of the departments in each population category of 100,000 or more. Fifteen percent of local police departments, employing 35% of all officers, surveyed citizens in their jurisdiction on topics related to crime, fear of crime, or satisfaction with police services. This included 65% of the departments serving 250,000 to 999,999 residents. A majority of departments serving a population of 50,000 or more had a full-time community policing unit In 2007, 14% of local police departments had a separate specialized unit with full-time officers dedicated to community policing activities (table 31). This included 85% of departments serving 1 million or more residents, and about 60% of those serving a population of 50,000 to 999,999. About 47,000 local police officers were specifically designated to perform community policing activities Although not necessarily part of a separate specialized unit, many local police officers were specifically designated as community policing officers in order to engage in community policing activities during 2007. In 2007, nearly half (47%) of local police departments reported using community policing officers. Collectively, local police departments had about 47,000 full-time community policing officers. More than two-thirds of the departments in each population category of 25,000 or more used full-time community policing officers. Departments serving 500,000 or more residents had well over 100 community policing officers each, on average. The number of community policing officers in local police departments declined by 54% from 2000 to 2007 Despite increases in the number of new officer recruits receiving community policing training between 2003 and 2007, the LEMAS survey recorded downward trends in the number of local police departments using community policing officers and the total number of officers so designated during that period. From 2000 to 2003, the number of community policing officers declined by almost half from about 103,000 to about 55,000. The percentage of departments using community policing officers also declined from 66% to 58%. From 2003 to 2007, the downward trend continued, dropping to 47% of departments and 47,000 officers. These declines are in sharp contrast to the period from 1997 to 2000 when the LEMAS survey recorded a large increase in the use of community policing officers from 34% of departments and 16,000 officers in 1997, to 66% of departments and 103,000 officers in 2000 (text table 2). ------------------------------------------------------------ Local police officers serving as school resource officers Many local police departments, through cooperative agreements, assign some of their sworn personnel to work in local schools. Often these school resource officers (SROs) employ a community policing approach and work in collaboration with school and community-based organizations. The core duties of SROs include law-related education, counseling, and law enforcement. Their multi-faceted role in the unique environment of a school requires training beyond that typically encompassed by a basic recruit program. In 2007, an estimated 38% of local police departments, employing 76% of all officers, had full-time sworn personnel assigned as school resource officers (table 32). More than two-thirds of the departments in each population category of 10,000 or more deployed school resource officers, including nearly 90% of those in jurisdictions with 25,000 to 499,999 residents. The average number of school resource officers deployed ranged from 87 for departments serving 1 million or more residents, to 2 among those serving fewer than 25,000 residents. An estimated 13,056 full-time local police officers were serving as school resource officers in 2007. This was nearly 1,300 fewer than in 2003, but still 3,700 more than in 1997, the first year the number was tracked in the LEMAS survey. Additional school resource officers were deployed nationwide by sheriffs' offices, state law enforcement agencies, and school police departments. ----------------------------------------------------------- From 2003 to 2007 the use of community policing officers declined among departments serving fewer than 50,000 residents From 2000 to 2003, a decline in the use of community policing officers by local police departments was observed in all population categories. While use in jurisdictions under 50,000 in population declined again from 2003 to 2007, this trend did not continue in jurisdictions with 50,000 or more residents. Among departments serving 250,000 or more residents, more were using community policing officers in 2007 (98%) than in 2003 (89%) or 2000 (92%) (figure 19). Although down from the peak year of 2000 (93%), departments serving 50,000 to 249,999 residents were as likely to use community policing officers in 2007 (89%) as in 2003 (88%). Among departments serving 10,000 to 49,999 residents, 56% were using community policing officers in 2007, down from 67% in 2003 and 75% in 2000. Among departments serving fewer than 10,000 residents, 40% were using community policing officers in 2007 compared to 54% in 2003 and 62% in 2000. Task Force Participation While community policing emphasizes law enforcement personnel working closely with citizens, multi-agency task force participation involves working closely with other law enforcement agencies. Such task forces allow the partnering of local, state, and federal agencies to combat problems that may be of regional or even national scope. Task forces allow agencies to pool resources and share information and expertise across jurisdictional boundaries. About 8,500 local police officers were assigned full time to a drug task force In 2007, 35% of local police departments, employing 77% of officers, had at least 1 officer assigned to a multi-agency drug task force (table 33). This included a majority of departments serving 10,000 or more residents. About 1 in 4 departments had at least one officer assigned full time, including a majority of those serving a population of 25,000 or more. Nationwide, more than 13,000 local police officers were assigned to a drug task force, including about 8,500 assigned full time. About 2,200 local police officers were assigned full time to a gang task force In 2007, 12% of local police departments, employing 52% of officers, had at least one officer assigned to a gang task force, including a majority of departments serving 100,000 or more residents (table 34). Five percent of departments had at least 1 officer assigned full time to a gang task force, including a majority of those serving a population of 250,000 or more. Nationwide, about 4,600 local police officers were assigned to a gang task force, including about 2,200 assigned full time. About 700 local police officers were assigned full time or part time to a human trafficking task force About 2% of departments had officers assigned to a human trafficking task force, including 54% of those serving a population of 1 million or more (table 35). Overall, about 700 local police officers were assigned to human trafficking task forces during 2007, and about a fifth of these were assigned full time. Most departments serving 100,000 or more residents had officers assigned to an anti-terrorism task force Nine percent of local police departments had officers assigned to an anti-terrorism task force, including nearly 90% of those serving a population of 250,000 or more, and 54% of those serving 100,000 to 249,999 residents (table 36). Nationwide, about 2,700 local police officers were assigned to anti-terrorism task forces, and more than 1,100 of these were assigned full time. Emergency Preparedness Just over half (54%) of local police departments had a written plan that specified actions to be taken in the event of a terrorist attack (text table 3). All departments serving a population of 1 million or more had such a plan, as did about 9 in 10 departments serving 100,000 to 999,999 residents. Departments with a terrorism response plan employed 81% of all officers. In addition to participating in anti-terrorism task forces, local police departments engaged in a variety of other activities during 2007 as part of their emergency preparedness and homeland security responsibilities. For example, 62% of departments participated in emergency preparedness exercises, including more than 90% of those serving 50,000 or more residents (table 37). More than a third (36%) of departments increased the presence of sworn officers at critical areas. This included more than three-fourths of those serving 250,000 or more residents, and more than half of those serving 10,000 to 249,999 residents. About 1 in 3 departments disseminated information to increase citizen preparedness during 2007, and 1 in 4 departments held community meetings on homeland security issues. About 3 in 4 departments serving a population of 250,000 or more engaged in these two activities. Overall, 13% of departments partnered with culturally diverse populations, including about two-thirds of departments serving a population of 250,000 or more. Just 4% of departments conducted a public anti-fear campaign during 2007, although nearly half (46%) of those serving a population of 1 million or more did so. About 6 in 7 local police officers worked for a department that participated in emergency preparedness exercises A majority of local police officers were employed by a department that participated in emergency preparedness exercises (86%), increased the presence of sworn personnel at critical areas (65%), disseminated information to increase citizen preparedness (62%), and held community meetings on homeland security and preparedness issues (52%) (figure 20). A quick, effective emergency response involving multiple first responder agencies in an affected region is essential. The use of a shared radio network infrastructure allows interoperability an important factor in achieving an effective, coordinated emergency response. As of 2007, about 7 in 8 local police departments were able to use a radio network that achieved interoperability, and at least 77% of the departments in any population category had this capability (text table 4). Local police departments had about 4,000 sworn personnel serving in intelligence positions related to combating terrorism More than 90% of local police departments serving a population of 500,000 or more had full-time sworn personnel serving in intelligence positions with primary duties related to terrorist activities (appendix table 18). A majority of departments serving 100,000 to 499,999 residents also had such personnel. Overall, 11% of departments had sworn personnel serving in this capacity with a total of about 4,000 nationwide. Just 1% of all departments had nonsworn intelligence personnel with primary duties related to terrorism, although nearly half (46%) of the departments serving a population of 1 million or more did. Nationwide, an estimated 238 civilian personnel from local police departments served in this type of position. Methodology Sample design Based on employment data from the 2004 BJS Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies (CSLLEA), the original 2007 LEMAS survey sample included 3,224 state and local law enforcement agencies. The sample was designed to be representative of all general purpose state and local law enforcement agencies in the United States, with separate samples drawn for local police departments and sheriffs' offices. Agencies serving special jurisdictions (such as schools, airports, or parks) or with special enforcement responsibilities (such hunting and fishing laws or alcohol laws) were considered out of scope for the survey. Sheriffs' offices without primary law enforcement jurisdiction were also considered out of scope for the survey. In addition, some smaller local police departments were determined to have closed since the 2004 CSLLEA and were dropped from the sample. After all out-of-scope and closed agencies were dropped, the final sample size for the survey was 3,095. The final sample included 950 self-representing (SR) agencies with 100 or more sworn personnel, and 2,145 nonself-representing (NSR) agencies employing fewer than 100 sworn personnel. The SR agencies included 591 local police departments, 310 sheriffs' offices, and 49 state law enforcement agencies. All 950 SR agencies received the 49-item CJ-44L questionnaire. The NSR local police agencies were selected using a stratified random sample with cells based on the number of sworn personnel. The NSR sheriffs' offices were selected using a simple random sample. Overall, the NSR sample included 1,504 local police departments and 641 sheriffs' offices. All 2,145 NSR agencies received the 40-item CJ-44S questionnaire. Agency response rate A total of 2,840 agencies completed their LEMAS questionnaire for an overall response rate of 91.8%. This included 879 SR agencies (92.5%) and 1,961 NSR agencies (91.4%). The response rate for local police departments was 93.9%; for sheriffs' offices it was 87.0%; and for state law enforcement agencies it was 91.8%. The final database includes full responses from 1,968 local police departments, 827 sheriffs' offices, and 45 state agencies. An additional 21 local police departments and 14 sheriffs' offices completed the first page of the questionnaire as part of a final non-response follow-up effort. Weighting The base weight for all SR agencies is one. For NSR sheriffs' offices, the base weight is 4.22. For NSR local police departments, the base weights are determined by the number of sworn personnel employed as reported in the 2004 BJS Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies. 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 2004, and a factor that adjusted for any nonresponding agencies in each cell. For state law enforcement agencies, the final weight is 1.09. For SR sheriffs' offices it is 1.12, and for NSR sheriffs' offices it is 4.90. The final weight for all SR local police departments is 1.06. For NSR local police departments with 63 to 99 officers, the final weight is 2.22, with 40 to 62 officers, 3.54; with 24 to 39 officers, 5.21; with 14 to 23 officers, 7.55; with 7 to 13 officers, 10.97; and for departments with fewer than 7 officers the final weight is 20.29. To compute the officer-based percentages in the report, the final weight for an agency was multiplied by the proportion of all full-time equivalent sworn officers employed by that agency. The number of full-time equivalent sworn officers was defined as the sum of the number of full-time sworn officers and one-half the number of part-time sworn officers. Item non-response For the 1,968 local police departments completing one of the two versions of the LEMAS questionnaire, item non-response rates due to omission or invalid data were quite low. For most categorical items, the non-response rate was 0% (appendix table 19). Imputations When an agency did not supply a response to a numeric item, median value imputation or ratio imputation was used. The median value imputations used the median value of an item reported in the 2007 survey by other agencies in the same sample cell. The ratio imputations used the median value of a ratio reported in the 2007 survey by other agencies in the same sample cell. Imputations were not used for categorical items. For race and gender data, a cold-deck imputation process was used where the percentages represented in an agency's sworn personnel totals by each racial/ethnic or gender group in the 2003 LEMAS survey was applied to the 2007 sworn personnel totals. If 2003 data were not available, then a ratio imputation method was used. Accuracy of the estimates The accuracy of the estimates presented in this report depends on two types of error: sampling and nonsampling. Sampling error is the variation that may occur by chance because a sample rather than a complete enumeration of the population was conducted. Nonsampling error can be attributed to many sources such as the inability to obtain information about all cases in the sample, inability to obtain complete and correct information from the administrative records, and processing errors. In any survey the full extent of the nonsampling error is never known. The sampling error, as measured by an estimated standard error, varies by the size of the estimate and the size of the base population. Estimates of the standard errors have been calculated for the 2007 survey (appendix table 20). These estimates may be used to construct confidence intervals around percentages in this report. For example, the 95%-confidence interval around the percentage of local police departments using foot patrol is approximately 55% plus or minus 1.96 times 1.5% (or 52% to 58%). These standard errors may also be used to test the significance of the difference between two sample statistics by pooling the standard errors of the two sample estimates. For example, the standard error of the difference between departments serving fewer than 2,500 residents and those serving 2,500 to 9,999 residents for enhanced 9-1-1 would be 3.5% (or the square root of the sum of the squared standard errors for each group). The 95%-confidence interval around the difference would be 1.96 times 3.5% (or 6.9%). Since the difference of 10% (75% minus 65%) is greater than 6.9%, the difference would be considered statistically significant. Standard error estimates may also be used to construct confidence intervals around numeric variables such as personnel counts (appendix table 21). For example, the 95%-confidence interval around the number of full-time sworn personnel is approximately 463,147 plus or minus 1.96 times 10,265, or 443,028 to 483,266. Abbreviated form responses In the final phase of the data collection, all remaining non-respondents were given the opportunity to complete an abbreviated questionnaire consisting of the first page of the original survey form they received. A total of 21 local police departments (5 SR and 16 NSR) and 14 sheriffs' offices (0 SR and 14 NSR) completed the abbreviated form. For analysis of the data that includes these partial-form responses, slightly different weights must be used. The adjusted partial-form weight for all SR local police departments is 1.05. For NSR agencies with 63 to 99 officers, the partial form weight is 20.04; with 40 to 62 officers, 3.49; with 24 to 39 officers, 5.15; with 14 to 23 officers, 7.48; with 7 to 13 officers, 10.80; and for departments with fewer than 7 officers, the partial-form weight is 20.04. For NSR sheriffs' offices the adjusted partial-form weight is 4.78. Dollar amounts adjusted for inflation For comparison purposes salary and budget data for 2003 were converted into 2007 dollars. This conversion was accomplished using Consumer Price Index data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. -------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- The Bureau of Justice Statistics is the statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. James P. Lynch is director. BJS Bulletins present the first release of findings from permanent data collection programs. The Bulletin was written by Brian Reaves. Andrea Burch verified the report. Catherine Bird and Jill Thomas edited the report, Barbara Quinn produced the report, and Jayne E. Robinson prepared the report for final printing under the supervision of Doris J. James. December 2010, NCJ 231174 -------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- This report in portable document format and in ASCII and its related statistical data and tables are available at the BJS World Wide Web Internet site: . -------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- Office of Justice Programs Innovation - Partnerships - Safer Neighborhoods http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov -------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- 11/29/2010 JER 1:07