U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Local Police Departments 1999 May 2001, NCJ 186478 --------------------------------------------------------- This file is text only without graphics and many of the tables. A Zip archive of the tables in this report in spreadsheet format (.wk1) and the full report including tables and graphics in .pdf format are available from: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/lpd99.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 and Brian A. Reaves, Ph.D. BJS Statisticians Lawrence A. Greenfeld Acting Director Matthew Hickman and Brian Reaves, BJS statisticians, prepared this report. Debra Cohen, Karin Schmerler, and Meg Townsend of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) developed the community policing content of the 1999 LEMAS survey instrument. Matthew Scheider, Pam Cammarata, Greg Cooper, Gil Kerlikowske, and Bob Phillips of COPS also provided assistance on the 1999 LEMAS project. COPS provided funding for the 1999 LEMAS survey. More information on COPS can be obtained at their web site: The 1999 LEMAS data were collected and processed by the U.S. Census Bureau under the supervision of Stephanie Brown of the Governments Division. Census Bureau staff on the project included Carolyn Gates, Theresa Reitz, Martha Haselbush, Martha Greene, Bill Bryner, Patricia Torreyson, and Henrietta Herrin. Sample design, selection, and imputation procedures were conducted by Suzanne Dorinski and Yukiko Ellis of the Economic Statistical Methods and Programming Division of the Census Bureau under the supervision of Carma Hogue. In BJS, Thomas Hester and Ellen Goldberg provided report production assistance, and Jayne Robinson administered final report production. 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: . ------------------------------------------------------ Contents Highlights The LEMAS survey Personnel Operations Community policing Computers and information systems Written policies and procedures Methodology Highlights Personnel * As of June 1999, the more than 13,000 local police departments nationwide had an estimated 556,631 full-time employees. This included about 436,000 sworn personnel. * From 1997 to 1999, the number of full-time local police employees increased by about 25,000, or 4.7%. When only sworn personnel are considered, employment increased by about 16,000 officers, or 3.8%. * As of June 1999, the Nation's largest local police force, the New York City Police Department, had 39,099 full-time officers. This was about 3 times as many as the next largest, the Chicago Police Department (13,307 officers). * Forty-six departments employed 1,000 or more officers, and these agencies accounted for about a third of all local police officers. Nearly 800 departments employed just 1 officer. * About 282,000, or 65%, of all local police officers had regularly assigned duties that included responding to calls for service. The percent of officers assigned to respond to calls ranged from 90% in departments serving fewer than 2,500 residents to less than 60% in those serving 100,000 or more residents. Operations * From 1997 to 1999, the percent of residents served by a department that routinely used bicycle patrol increased from 66% to 76%, the percent served by a department that used routine foot patrol increased from 59% to 68%, and the percent served by a department using one or both of these types of patrol increased from 78% to 85%. * In 1999, 88% of local police departments, employing 98% of all officers, participated in a 9-1-1 emergency telephone system. Sixty-seven percent of departments, employing 90% of all officers, had enhanced 9-1-1 in 1999, compared to 53% of departments, employing 80% of all officers, in 1997. * Ninety-two percent of departments, employing 99% of all officers, were responsible for investigating at least some types of crimes. About two-fifths handled computer crime investigations, including more than two-thirds of those serving 10,000 or more residents. * About 1 in 4 departments were responsible for providing court security, and 1 in 6 served civil process. Just 1 in 12 departments operated a jail. * Nearly all departments had traffic and vehicle-related responsibilities such as enforcement of traffic laws (99%), accident investigation (98%), parking enforcement (90%), and traffic direction and control (87%). Community policing * More than 90% of the departments serving 25,000 or more residents had some type of community policing plan, and a majority of those serving 50,000 or more residents had a formal, written plan. * About 7 in 8 local police officers worked for a department that trained at least some new recruits in community policing skills such as problem-solving and building community partnerships. Most departments serving 10,000 or more residents offered such training to all recruits. * Nearly two-thirds (64%) of departments had full-time community policing officers. Nationwide, an estimated 91,000, or 21%, of all local police officers were regularly engaged in community policing activities. * Nearly a third (30%) of departments had full-time school resource officers, with a total of more than 9,100 assigned overall. * Nearly all departments serving 10,000 or more residents regularly met with community groups. A majority of those serving 50,000 or more residents had formed problem-solving partnerships, and a majority of those serving 25,000 or more residents provided community policing training to citizens. Computers and information systems * All departments serving 25,000 or more residents used computers during 1999, as did nearly all of those serving 2,500 to 24,999 residents. Just 1% of all local police officers worked for a department not using computers. * In 1999, 56% of local police dispatch systems were computer-aided, including nearly all of those in departments serving 50,000 or more residents. In 1990, 40% of departments used computer-aided dispatch. * From 1990 to 1999, the percent of officers employed by a department with computerized arrest records increased from 81% to 95%. Increases were also observed for criminal histories (60% to 79%), warrants (68% to 78%), and summonses (28% to 52%). * About a third of departments used computers for crime analysis (38%) and crime mapping (32%) during 1999, including most departments serving a population of 10,000 or more. * From 1990 to 1999, the percent of local police officers working for a department using in-field computers or terminals increased from 31% to 73%. Local police departments had about 20 in-field computers or terminals per 100 officers as of June 1999. * More than half of local police officers worked in a department where at least some officers in the field could use in-field computers to access information on wanted suspects (62%) or driving records (54%). About 2 in 5 officers were in departments where calls for service (41%) or criminal history (39%) records could be accessed. Written policies and procedures * Nearly all local police officers worked for a department which had written policies or procedures pertaining to conduct and appearance (99%), use of deadly force (99%), domestic disputes (97%), citizen complaints (96%), and the use of nonlethal force (96%). --------------------------------------------------------- The LEMAS survey During 1999, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), as a 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, and 1997. This report presents data from the 1999 survey describing the more than 13,000 local police departments operating in the United States in terms of their personnel, operations, community policing initiatives, computers and information systems, and written policies. Comparisons are made with prior years where appropriate. Nearly all local police departments are operated by municipal (86%) or township (13%) governments. As of 1996, about 100 general purpose local police departments were operated by tribal governments, and approximately 50 by county governments. The 1999 LEMAS survey questionnaire was mailed to 3,319 State and local law enforcement agencies, and 3,246 of them provided data for a response rate of 97.8%. (See Methodology on page 20 for a description of sampling procedures.) This report and its companion report (Sheriffs' Offices 1999, May 2001, NCJ 186479), summarize data collected from agencies of all sizes. Detailed agency- by-agency tabulations from the 1999 LEMAS survey were previously published for agencies with 100 or more officers (see Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, 1999: Data for Individual State and Local Agencies with 100 or More Officers, November 2000, NCJ 184481). Personnel As of June 30, 1999, local police departments had an estimated 556,631 full-time employees. About 436,000, or 78%, of full-time local police department employees were sworn officers. This accounted for nearly two-thirds (64%) of full-time officers working for State and local general purpose law enforcement agencies nationwide. Local police departments also employed about 28,000 part-time sworn officers. The estimated 120,449 full-time nonsworn local police employees comprised nearly half (47%) of all nonsworn employees in general purpose law enforcement agencies. Local police departments had about 36,000 part-time nonsworn employees. From 1990 to 1999, local police employment increased by about 97,000, or 21% -- an average of 2.3% annually. The number of full-time sworn officers increased by about 73,000, or 20%, during this period. There were about 25,000 more full-time local police employees in 1999 than in 1997, an increase of 4.7%. When only sworn personnel are considered, local police employment increased by about 16,000, or 3.8%, from 1997 to 1999. From 1990 to 1999, the number of full-time civilian local police employees rose from 96,890 to 120,449, an increase of 24.3%. This included an increase of about 9,000, or 8.2%, from 1997 to 1999. Nationwide, 573, or 4.2%, of local police departments employed at least 100 sworn personnel. This included 46 departments with 1,000 or more officers. An estimated 7,095, or 52.4%, of departments employed fewer than 10 sworn personnel, including nearly 800 with just 1 officer. About a third of all full-time local police officers were employed by a department with 1,000 or more officers, and about three-fifths were employed by a department with at least 100 officers. Departments with fewer than 10 sworn personnel accounted for about 5% of all local police officers. Although 77% of local police departments served fewer than 10,000 residents, these agencies employed just 15% of all local police officers. About half of all officers served a jurisdiction with 100,000 or more residents, including nearly a fourth in jurisdictions with 1 million or more residents. With 39,099 officers, New York City had a police force about 3 times as large as Chicago, the city with the second largest force. While departments serving the largest cities had thousands of officers on average, those serving fewer than 2,500 residents had an average of just 3 full-time officers each. Overall, nearly two-thirds (65%) of full-time sworn local police employees had regularly assigned duties that included responding to calls for service. By population category, the proportion of officers responding to calls ranged from about 3 in 5 in departments serving 50,000 or more residents, to more than 4 in 5 in those serving fewer than 10,000 residents. Overall, 89% of sworn personnel worked in field operations. Officers working in the field operations area, but not assigned to respond to calls, often performed supervisory or investigative duties. The next highest area of employment for sworn personnel was administration (6.2%). This included positions related to the chief's office, financial affairs, human resources, and internal affairs. About 4% of officers handled technical support duties primarily related to communications, fleet management, crime prevention, or training. Few officers were assigned duties related to jail (0.3%) or court (0.3%) operations. Among civilian local police employees, most worked in technical support jobs (68.7%). Other areas of employment for nonsworn employees included field operations (11.1%), administration (9.2%), and jail operations (4.7%). As of June 30, 1999, local police departments collectively employed 97.6% of the maximum number of sworn personnel authorized by their budgets, and 96.5% of their authorized civilian employee strength. Actual-to-authorized ratios for sworn personnel ranged from about 100% among departments serving fewer than 2,500 residents to about 94% in those serving 250,000 to 499,999 residents. For nonsworn employees, departments serving 2,500 to 24,999 residents (99%) had the highest ratio, and those serving 500,000 to 999,999 residents (91%), the lowest. 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, 1999, 43% of departments were using reserve or auxiliary sworn officers, with an average of 2 full-time and 5 part-time officers each. Some departments utilized nonsworn volunteers such as community service officers or police service aides. As of June 30, 1999, 11% were using community service officers or police service aides, with an average of 3 full-time and 2 part- time each. Twelve percent used other types of nonsworn volunteers, with an average of 3 part-time volunteers each. Nationwide, local police departments had about 14,000 full-time reserve officers and 31,000 part-time reserve officers (not shown in table). They also had about 4,200 community service officers and police service aides with about two-thirds of these working full-time. Departments utilized an additional 28,000 nonsworn volunteers, with nearly all working part-time. Operations Stations and substations As of June 30, 1999, local police departments operated an estimated 3,566 district or precinct stations and 4,021 neighborhood or community substations that were separate from headquarters. More than 9 in 10 departments serving 250,000 or more residents had district or precinct stations, and more than 8 in 10 had community substations. About 7 in 10 departments serving 50,000 to 249,999 residents had community substations. Among departments operating such facilities, the average number of district or precinct stations ranged from 16 in jurisdictions with 1 million or more residents to 1 in those with fewer than 50,000 residents. For substations, the average number operated ranged from 14 in jurisdictions with 1 million or more residents to 1 in those with fewer than 10,000 residents. Patrol and response All local police departments provided patrol services during 1999, and all used automobiles for at least some of their routine patrol units. About half used foot patrol units, including nearly all departments serving a population of 1 million or more. Departments with routine foot patrol employed about three-fourths of all officers. Nearly all departments (96%) serving 250,000 or more residents had routine bike patrols, as did more than 80% of departments serving a population of 50,000 to 249,999. Overall, 34% of departments, employing 78% of all officers, used bicycle patrol units on a routine basis. Just 10% of departments used motorcycle patrol units on a routine basis, although 86% of those serving 100,000 or more residents did so. Departments using routine motorcycle patrol employed about three-fifths of all officers. Overall, few departments routinely scheduled marine (3%) or horse (1%) patrol units. However, a majority of the departments serving 500,000 or more residents did so. About a fourth (24%) of departments used foot patrol for special events only. Nine percent used bicycles for special events patrol, but not routine patrol. Smaller percentages used motorcycle (3%), horse (2%), or marine (2%) patrol units exclusively for special events. In 1999, 63% of departments used foot and/or bicycle patrol on a routine basis, up from 60% in 1997. Nearly all departments serving 50,000 or more residents used one or both of these patrol types, often in conjunction with community policing initiatives designed to enhance police- community interaction. Of the approximately 195 million U.S. residents served by a local police department, 85% were served by one that used foot and/ or bicycle patrol on a routine basis during 1999, compared to 78% in 1997. From 1997 to 1999 the percentage of residents served by a department using routine bicycle patrol went from 66% to 76%, and the percentage served by a department with foot patrol from 59% to 68%. Dispatch Thirty-eight percent of local police departments, employing 76% of all officers, had responsibility for dispatching citizen calls for service. This included more than 80% of the departments serving a population of 250,000 or more and more than 70% of those serving a population of 10,000 to 249,999. 9-1-1 emergency telephone system In 1999, 88% of local police departments, employing 98% of all officers, participated in an emergency telephone system whereby one of their units could be dispatched as a result of a call to 9-1-1 or its equivalent. More than 90% of the departments in each population category of 2,500 or more were 9-1-1 participants, including all of those serving 250,000 or more residents. Three-fourths of local police 9-1-1 systems were enhanced, capable of pinpointing the location of a caller automatically. More than 90% of departments serving a population of 25,000 or more had enhanced 9-1-1, compared to about half of those serving fewer than 2,500 residents. The 67% of local police departments participating in an enhanced 9-1-1 system in 1999 represented a sizable increase over 1997, when 53% were participants. It was nearly 4 times the proportion with such a capability in 1990 (18%). In 1999, 9 in 10 local police officers worked in a department with enhanced 9-1-1 compared to 5 in 10 officers in 1990. From 1990 to 1999 the percentage of residents served by a local police department with 9-1-1 increased from 79% to 98%. During this time, the percentage of residents covered by an enhanced 9-1-1 system nearly doubled from 48% to 91%. Crime investigation Overall, 92% of local police departments, employing 99% of all officers, conducted investigations of at least some types of crimes. Eighty-seven percent had investigative responsibility for violent crimes such as rape, robbery, or assault, including nearly all of those serving a population of 10,000 or more. About 3 in 4 departments handled homicide investigations, including all of those serving 250,000 or more residents, and more than 90% of those serving 10,000 to 249,999 residents. Ninety percent of departments were responsible for investigating property crimes such as burglary, larceny, or motor vehicle theft. All departments serving 250,000 or more residents handled such investigations, as did more than 9 in 10 departments serving 2,500 to 299,999 residents. Sixty-three percent of all departments were responsible for arson investigations, with those serving 2,500 to 99,999 residents the most likely to handle such incidents. About a third of departments were responsible for investigating environmental crimes. No more than 42% of the departments in any population category handled such investigations. Two-fifths of departments handled computer crime investigations, including more than 90% of those serving a population of 500,000 or more, and about 70% of those serving 10,000 to 499,999 residents. Investigative support functions A fourth of all local police departments were responsible for fingerprint processing. This included all departments serving a population of 1 million or more, and about 9 in 10 serving 100,000 to 999,999 residents. Few departments provided crime lab services (4%) or performed ballistics tests (2%), although more than half of departments serving 250,000 or more residents were responsible for these functions. Court-related functions Eighty-five percent of departments, employing 84% of all officers, were responsible for executing arrest warrants. This included at least 74% of the departments in each population category. Twenty-six percent of departments, employing 25% of all officers, provided court security. No more than 32% of the departments in any population category performed such services. An estimated 16% of departments, employing 9% of all officers, were responsible for serving civil process. Departments serving fewer than 2,500 residents (21%) were the most likely to perform this function. Detention facilities Just 8% of local police departments, employing 14% of all officers, operated a jail during 1999. No more than 19% of the departments in any population category operated a jail, a function most commonly handled by sheriffs' offices. Sixteen percent of local police departments, employing 43% of all officers, operated a temporary holding (lockup) facility for overnight detention that was separate from a jail. The percentage of departments with a lockup ranged from 56% in the largest jurisdictions to 4% in the smallest. Departments in the largest jurisdictions were also the most likely (75%) to have temporary holding cells not used for overnight detention. Just 6% of the departments in the smallest jurisdictions had them. Overall, 19% of departments, employing 47% of all officers, had this type of holding cell. Traffic and vehicle-related functions Nearly all local police departments had primary responsibility for enforcing traffic laws (99%) and investigating traffic accidents (98%). Large percentages also handled traffic direction and control (87%), and parking enforcement (90%) duties. Nearly half of departments provided school crossing services (47%), including about three-fifths of those serving 10,000 to 999,999 residents. About 3 in 8 departments were responsible for enforcement of commercial vehicle laws. This included more than 3 in 5 departments serving 250,000 or more residents. Special operations functions Twenty-one percent of local police departments performed tactical operations, commonly associated with SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) teams. These departments employed 71% of all local police officers. All departments serving 500,000 or more residents performed SWAT operations, as did a majority of those serving 25,000 to 499,999 residents. An estimated 19% of departments, employing 37% of all officers, had responsibility for search and rescue operations. More than half of the departments serving a population of 500,000 or more performed this function. Five percent of departments, employing 34% of all officers, were responsible for underwater recovery operations. This included a majority of the departments serving 500,000 or more residents. Bomb disposal was handled by 3% of departments, including 88% of those serving 500,000 or more residents, and 76% of those serving a population of 250,000 to 499,999. Departments handling bomb disposal employed 42% of all officers. Special public safety functions Fifty-eight percent of departments were responsible for animal control services in their jurisdiction. This included about three-fifths of the departments serving fewer than 10,000 residents, and about half of those serving 10,000 to 99,999 residents. Departments handling animal control employed 38% of all officers. Other special public safety functions handled by local police departments included civil defense (21%), emergency medical services (16%), and fire services (12%). Departments performing civil defense functions employed 13% of all officers, those handling emergency medical services 9%, and those providing fire services, 5%. Community policing Community policing is a philosophy that promotes and supports organizational strategies to address the causes and reduce the fear of crime and social disorder through problem-solving strategies and community partnerships. A fundamental shift from traditional reactive policing, community policing stresses the prevention of crime. Community policing supports and empowers front-line officers, decentralizes command, and encourages innovative problem solving. (See Community Policing in Local Police Departments, 1997 and 1999, BJS Special Report, February 2001, NCJ 184794.) In 1999, 17% of local police departments, employing 45% of all officers, had a formal, written community policing plan. A majority of the departments serving 50,000 or more residents had a written plan, including about two-thirds of those serving a population of 100,000 to 999,999. Departments serving fewer than 2,500 residents (9%) were the least likely to have a written plan. In each of the four major population categories, a majority of local police departments had either a formal, written community policing plan or an informal, unwritten plan. Departments serving fewer than 50,000 residents were more likely to have an unwritten plan than a formal, written one. Overall, 91% of all local police officers worked for a department with some type of community policing plan. Community policing training During the 2-year period ending June 30, 1999, 54% of all local police departments, employing 87% of all officers, trained at least some of their new officer recruits in community policing skills such as problem-solving and developing community partnerships. Forty-one percent of departments, employing 67% of all officers, trained all new recruits in community policing. The larger the jurisdiction, the more likely a department trained all recruits in community policing, ranging from 95% of those serving 500,000 or more residents to 24% of those serving fewer than 2,500 residents. Sixty-three percent of departments, employing 85% of all officers, trained at least some in-service officers during the 2-year period. Twenty-eight percent of departments, employing 32% of all officers, trained all of their in-service officers in community policing. Community policing personnel Overall, 64% of local police departments, serving 87% of all local police officers, had full-time sworn personnel serving as community policing officers, community resource officers, community relations officers, or otherwise regularly engaged in community policing activities. As of June 30, 1999, an estimated 91,000, or 21%, of local police officers served in this capacity. About 9 in 10 departments serving a population of 25,000 or more had full-time community policing officers. Those serving a population of 1 million or more employed about 1,700 such officers on average. Among departments serving fewer than 2,500 residents that had community policing officers, an average of 2 each were so designated. The percentage of full-time sworn personnel designated as community policing officers was highest in the smallest jurisdictions (40%). Departments serving jurisdictions with 1 million or more residents had the next highest percentage -- 28%. Percentages in other population categories ranged from 24% in those with 2,500 to 9,999 residents, to 13% in those with 250,000 to 999,999 residents. Thirty percent of local police departments, employing 62% of all officers, had full- time school resource officers during 1999. These 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 30, 1999, local police departments had about 9,100 full-time sworn personnel assigned as school resource officers. A majority of the departments serving 10,000 or more residents had school resource officers. Among departments using them, the average number of school resource officers ranged from 66 in departments serving a population of 1 million or more, to 1 in those serving fewer than 2,500 residents. Community-oriented policies and programs Forty-two percent of all local police departments, employing 78% of all local police officers, gave patrol officers responsibility for specific geographic areas or beats during 1999. This included about 90% of the departments serving a population of 50,000 or more. Just 8% of departments, employing 43% of all officers, assigned cases to investigators by geographic area, although a majority of the departments serving a population of 100,000 or more did so. Twenty-nine percent of departments, employing 48% of all officers, actively encouraged patrol officers to become involved in problem-solving projects. A majority of the departments serving a population of 25,000 or more had such a policy. Eighteen percent of all departments, employing 33% of all officers, included problem-solving projects in the performance evaluation criteria for patrol officers. This included about half of the departments serving a population of 100,000 or more. During the 2-year period ending June 30, 1999, 25% of local police departments, employing 44% of all officers, formed partnerships with community groups, local agencies, or others through written agreements. This included nearly two- thirds of the departments serving 100,000 to 999,999 residents. Twenty-four percent of departments, employing 68% of all officers, offered training to citizens on community policing topics such as community mobilization and problem-solving. A majority of departments serving 25,000 or more residents offered such training. About 4 in 5 departments, including nearly all of those serving 10,000 or more residents, regularly met with community groups during the 2-year period ending June 30, 1999. Departments holding regular meetings employed 96% of all local police officers. About 6 in 7 officers worked for a department that regularly met with school groups (85%) and neighborhood associations (84%). The percentages for other types of groups were as follows: business (78%), senior citizen (70%), domestic violence (66%), youth service (65%), tenant (59%), and religious (59%). Citizen surveys Nearly 3 in 10 local police departments, employing about half of all officers, surveyed citizens in their jurisdiction during the year ending June 30, 1999. This included a majority of the departments serving a population of 25,000 or more. Twenty-five percent of departments, employing 39% of all officers, surveyed citizens' about their satisfaction with police services. Eighteen percent of departments, employing 32% of all officers, surveyed citizens regarding their perception of crime problems. Eleven percent of departments, employing 22% of officers, surveyed citizens about their personal crime experiences. A majority of departments conducting surveys used the data to provide information to officers (72%), evaluate program effectiveness (57%), or prioritize crime- related problems (52%). About two-fifths used the information for training officers (42%), formulating policy and procedures (42%), or allocating resources to targeted neighborhoods (39%). Sixteen percent used it to redistrict beats or reporting areas. Citizen access to crime statistics Seventy-three percent of local police departments, employing 92% of all local police officers, provided citizens with routine access to crime statistics or crime maps. This included more than 90% of departments serving 10,000 or more residents. Departments were most likely to provide access to crime statistics at the city or county level (60% of departments employing 83% of all officers). An estimated 23% of departments, employing 54% of all officers, provided routine access to crime statistics by neighborhood. Sixteen percent of departments, employing 36% of all officers, made statistics available at the street or block level, and 14% of them, employing 38% of all officers, provided statistics by patrol beat. Just 9% of departments provided district or precinct crime statistics. However, most departments serving 250,000 or more residents did so, and departments providing such statistics employed 47% of all officers. Ninety percent of the departments that provided citizens with routine access to crime statistics or crime maps made them available to those who inquired in person. Just over half provided statistics in response to requests made by telephone (57%) in writing (56%). About two-fifths of departments routinely published crime statistics in newspapers (40%) or agency reports (38%). Some provided access to statistics by fax (16%), radio (14%), newsletter (11%), television (11%), or the Internet (10%). Computers and information systems Administrative functions All local police departments serving 25,000 or more residents, and 97% of those serving 2,500 to 24,999 residents, used computers for administrative purposes during 1999. Just 1% of local police officers worked for a department not using computers. An estimated 78% of departments, employing 96% of all officers, used personal computers (PC's) in 1999. This was an increase over 1997 when 67% of departments, employing 93% of officers, used them. In 1999 all depart- ments serving 250,000 or more residents, and 99% of those serving 25,000 to 249,999 residents, used PC's. Twenty-four percent of departments, employing 59% of all officers, used mainframes during 1999. This was a decrease from 1997 when 37% of departments, employing 75% of all officers, used them. Local police departments stored various types of administrative records in computer files during 1999. Forty-six percent of them, employing 84% of all officers, had computerized personnel files. This included a majority of departments serving 2,500 or more residents and more than 90% of those serving a population of 100,000 or more. Forty-four percent, employing 69% of all officers, had computerized inventory files. This included a majority of departments serving 10,000 or more residents. An estimated 29% of departments, employing 68% of all officers, had computerized payroll files. This included a majority of departments serving 25,000 or more residents. Computer-aided dispatch Among the approximately 5,000 local police departments with responsibility for dis- patching calls for service, more than half (56%) used computer-aided dispatch systems. This included all departments serving a population of 500,000 or more, and nearly all departments serving 50,000 to 499,999 residents. The percentage of local police department dispatch systems that were computerized increased significantly from 1990 to 1999. For example, among departments that handled dispatch functions and served 250,000 or more residents, the percent with computer-aided dispatch rose from 88% to 99%. From 1990 to 1999, among departments serving 50,000 to 249,999 residents, the percentage with computerized dispatch increased from 72% to 97%; among those serving 10,000 to 49,999 residents, from 48% to 74%; and in jurisdictions with a population of less than 10,000, the percentage of dispatch systems that were computerized increased from 16% to 36%. Offender and suspect records Seventy percent of local police departments had computerized arrest records in 1999. This included nearly all departments serving a population of 10,000 or more, and about 4 in 5 departments serving a population of 2,500 to 9,999. More than two-fifths of departments had computerized criminal history (44%) and warrant (43%) information. This included more than 70% of the departments in each population category of 10,000 or more, and about half of those serving 2,500 to 9,999 residents. Just 28% of all departments had computerized summons records. However, about two-thirds of the departments serving a population of 1 million or more had them, as did about half of those serving 10,000 to 999,999 residents. From 1990 to 1999 the percentage of departments with computerized information on arrests, criminal histories, warrants, and summonses increased substantially. Accordingly, the percentage of officers employed by a department storing these types of records in a computerized format also increased. The percentage of local police officers working for departments with computerized arrest records increased from 81% in 1990 to 95% in 1999. Similar increases in computerization were observed for information pertaining to criminal histories (from 60% in 1990 to 79% in 1999), warrants (from 68% to 78%), and summonses (from 28% to 52%). Investigations Nearly half (45%) of all departments used computers for criminal investigation purposes other than word processing. This included about 9 in 10 departments serving a population of 100,000 or more, 8 in 10 departments serving a population of 25,000 to 99,999, and 7 in 10 departments serving 10,000 to 24,999 residents. Departments using computers for criminal investigation purposes employed 80% of all local police officers in 1999. In 1990, 30% of departments, employing 71% of all officers, were using computers for criminal investigations. Most departments maintained various types of computerized information related to the investigative process. For example, 69% of them, employing 90% of all officers, had computer files pertaining to incident reports. This included more than 90% of the departments serving 10,000 to 999,999 residents. Sixty-two percent of departments, employing 73% of all officers, stored incident report narratives in a computerized format. This included about 3 in 4 departments serving a population of 100,000 to 999,999 or 2,500 to 49,999. Just over half of all departments had computerized information on stolen property other than vehicles. This included at least 84% of the departments in each population category of 10,000 or more. Departments with computer files on stolen property employed 83% of all officers. Forty-three percent of departments, employing 82% of all officers, had computer files containing evidence information. This included all departments serving a population of 1 million or more, and a large majority of those serving 10,000 to 999,999 residents. Thirty-six percent of departments, employing 68% of all officers, had computer files containing field interview information. This included about 3 in 4 departments serving 50,000 or more residents, and about 3 in 5 departments serving a population of 10,000 to 49,999. Traffic and vehicle-related records In 1999 most local police departments had computer files on traffic citations (60%) and accidents (54%). More than 80% of those serving a population of 10,000 or more had these types of computerized information. Departments with computer files on traffic accidents employed 85% of all officers, and those with computerized traffic citation files, 66% of all officers. About two-fifths (39%) of departments had computer files containing information on traffic stops, including more than three- fifths of those serving a population of 10,000 to 999,999. About half (52%) of all local police officers worked for a department that had computer records on traffic stops. Forty-eight percent of all departments, employing 81% of all officers, had computer files on stolen vehicles. This included about 80% of the departments serving 10,000 or more residents. Crime and calls for service records Overall, 56% of departments, employing 91% of all officers, had computer records on calls for service. This included more than 90% of the departments serving 10,000 or more residents. Just under half (46%) of all departments had computerized alarm records. These departments employed 80% of all officers. More than 80% of departments serving a population of 10,000 or more had alarm-related computer files. Fifty percent of departments, employing 83% of all officers, had computerized incident- based crime data, including more than 80% of the departments serving a population of 10,000 or more. About a third (34%) of departments, employing 53% of all officers, had computerized files related to the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program's National Incident-Based Reporting System. About half (48%), employing 83% of all officers, had summary UCR computer files. Crime analysis and crime mapping In 1999, 38% of departments, employing 81% of all officers, used computers for crime analysis. A large majority of the departments serving 10,000 or more residents used computers for this function. About a fourth (23%) of departments, employing 63% of all officers, maintained linked files for crime analysis purposes. Related to crime analysis efforts in local police departments is the use of crime mapping. In 1999, 32% of all departments, employing 74% of all officers, used computers for this purpose. This included a large majority of those serving a population of 50,000 or more. Internet In 1999, 18% of departments, employing 63% of all officers, had an Internet home page. This included more than 80% of the departments serving 100,000 or more residents, and represented an increase over 1997 when 11% of departments, serving 49% of officers, had a home page. Half of all departments, employing 83% of all officers, used computers for Internet access during 1999. This included more than 90% of departments serving 100,000 or more residents, and more than 80% of those serving 25,000 to 99,999 residents. Use of computers in the field A large majority of departments serving 25,000 or more residents used in-field computers or terminals during 1999. Overall, 31% of departments, employing 73% of all officers, used them. Laptops were the type most commonly used with 22% of departments, employing 55% of all officers, using them. About 1 in 6 departments used car- mounted computers (6%) or terminals (12%). This included about 5 in 6 departments serving a population of 500,000 or more. Departments using car-mounted terminals or computers employed 57% of all officers. Just 1% of departments used portable hand- held computers or terminals. Departments serving a population of 1 million or more (37%) were the most likely to use them. Overall, 17% of local police officers were employed by a department that used them. Nationwide local police departments had 20 in-field computers or terminals per 100 officers as of June 30, 1999. Those serving 100,000 to 499,999 residents had the highest ratio, 30 per 100. The next highest ratio, 24 per 100, was among departments serving a population of either 500,000 to 999,999 or 50,000 to 99,999. The lowest ratio, 9 per 100, was in departments serving fewer than 2,500 residents. In 1990, 5% of all departments, employing 31% of all officers, were using in-field computers or terminals. Since then significant growth in their use has occurred in all population categories. From 1990 to 1999 among departments serving 250,000 or more residents, in- field computer use went from 56% to 88%; in departments serving 50,000 to 249,999 residents, from 31% to 76%; in departments serving 10,000 to 49,999 residents, from 9% to 55%; and in departments serving fewer than 10,000 residents, from 2% to 22%. In 1999, 20% of local police departments, employing 38% of all officers, used in-field computers or terminals to produce field reports. Nineteen percent of departments, employing 59% of all officers, used them for at least some in-field communications. In about a fifth of departments, at least some officers could use in-field computers or terminals to access information on wanted suspects (21%) or vehicles (20%). This included a majority of the departments serving 25,000 or more residents. In 18% of departments, officers in the field could access driving records via computer. This included a majority of the departments serving a population of 50,000 or more. In 15% of departments, including a majority of those serving 100,000 or more residents, information on stolen property could be accessed with in-field computers. In 11% of departments, infield computers or terminals could be used to access criminal histories or information on prior calls for service at a particular location. Calls for service histories were available in a majority of the departments serving 250,000 or more residents. About 3 in 5 local police officers worked in a department where information on wanted suspects (62%) was accessible to at least some patrol officers via in-field computers. About half worked in departments where information on driving records (54%) or stolen property (48%) was accessible. Approximately two-fifths worked in departments where in-field officers could access calls for service histories (41%) or criminal history records (39%). In 14% of departments, employing 21% of all officers, computer media or data devices were used to transfer or download crime incident reports to a central information system. Three percent of departments, employing 8% of all officers, used telephone or wireless transmissions. Written policies and procedures Many local police departments have written policies and procedures to guide officers through their work activities. About 9 in 10 departments had written policies or procedures on dealing with domestic disputes. This included at least 94% of the departments in each population category of 2,500 or more. About 3 in 4 departments had some type of written policy pertaining to discretionary arrest powers (76%), including at least three-fourths of the departments in each population category of 2,500 or more. About 3 in 4 departments had written policies or procedures pertaining to the handling of juveniles (76%), including about 9 in 10 departments serving 10,000 or more residents. A majority of departments also had written policies or procedures on responding to the mentally ill (58%). Nearly all departments serving a population of 2,500 or more had written policies or procedures dealing with the use of deadly force and nonlethal force. More than 80% of the departments serving fewer than 2,500 residents did as well. Ninety percent of departments had a written code of officer conduct and appearance, including all of those serving 25,000 or more residents. Eighty-four percent had written procedures on how to handle citizen complaints, including nearly all of those serving 10,000 or more residents. Nationwide, nearly all local police officers were employed by a department with written policies or procedures on officer conduct and appearance (99%), use of deadly force (99%), handling of domestic disputes (97%), handling of citizen complaints (96%), and use of nonlethal force (96%). Methodology The Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) survey collects data from a nationally representative sample of the approximately 19,000 publicly funded State and local law enforcement agencies in the United States. This report presents data from the 1999 survey describing local police departments in terms of their personnel, operations, community policing initiatives, computers and information systems, and written policies and procedures. The 1999 LEMAS survey questionnaire was mailed to 3,319 State and local law enforcement agencies. The initial mailing of the questionnaire was conducted in June 1999, and, unless otherwise indicated, June 30, 1999, was used as the reference date for survey questions. Allowing for the exclusion of certain types of special jurisdiction police, 895 law enforcement agencies in the U.S. with 100 or more sworn officers as of June 30, 1996 were included in the sample as self-representing (SR) agencies. This included 529 local police departments, 306 sheriffs' offices, the 49 primary State law enforcement agencies, and 11 special jurisdiction police agencies. The self-representing (SR) agencies were supplemented by a nationally representative sample of agencies with fewer than 100 sworn officers. These nonself-representing (NSR) agencies were chosen using a stratified random sample with cells based on the type of agency (local police, sheriff, or special police), size of population served, and number of sworn officers. The 2,424 NSR agencies selected included 1,556 local police departments, 694 sheriffs' offices, and 174 special jurisdiction police agencies. A total of 3,246 agencies responded to the 1999 LEMAS survey for a response rate of 97.8%. This included 883 SR agencies and 2,363 NSR agencies. The final database includes 2,052 local police departments, 967 sheriffs' offices, 178 special jurisdiction police departments, and the 49 primary State law enforcement agenies. The base weight for all SR agencies is 1. For NSR local police departments, the base weights are determined by number of sworn officers employed as of June 30, 1996. For agencies with 0 to 6 sworn officers, the base weight is 15.55; for 7 to 13 officers, it is 9.65; for 14 to 23 officers, it is 7. 09; for 24 to 39 officers, it is 4.95; for 40 to 62 officers, it is 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 1996, and a factor that adjusted for any nonresponding agencies in each cell. Some responding agencies did not fully complete the LEMAS questionnaire. When an agency did not supply a response to an item, median value imputation or ratio imputation was used. 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. Median value imputation was used to impute counts of facilities, reserve sworn officers, community service officers, and nonsworn volunteers. Ratio imputation was used to impute counts of employees and computer equipment. Every imputed item on the database has an indicator that the value has been imputed. Complete documentation regarding sampling procedures and nonresponse adjustments is available upon request. Because the data from agencies with fewer than 100 sworn personnel were collected from a sample, the results are subject to sampling error. Statements of comparison in this report have been tested to ensure that observed differences between values are significant at 2 standard errors (the 95%-confidence level) or higher. The survey data are also subject to response and processing errors. End of file 05/09/01 ih