Sheriffs' Departments, 1997 U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Executive Summary October 1999, NCJ 179011 Revised 12/15/00 pm ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This report is one in a series. More recent editions may be available. To view a list of all in the series go to www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pubalp2.htm#sd ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Personnel *As of June 1997, sheriffs' departments had an estimated 263,427 full-time employees, including about 175,000 sworn personnel. Total employment was up by an average 4.4% per year since 1993, compared to 3.1% per year from 1987 to 1993. * Racial and ethnic minorities comprised 19% of full-time sworn officers in sheriffs' departments in 1997. This compared to 16.9% in 1993, 15.5% in 1990, and 13.4% in 1987. * Nearly all officers worked for departments that used criminal record checks (99%), background investigations (98%), driving record checks (95%), and medical exams (92%) to screen applicants. Psychological (75%), aptitude (69%), and physical agility (59%) tests were also widely used. * In 1997, 1% of departments required a 4-year degree of new deputy recruits and 7% a 2-year degree. Overall, 11% of departments required new deputy recruits to have completed at least some college course work in 1997, up from 7% in 1993. * Field and classroom training requirements for new deputy recruits averaged more than 800 hours combined. Three-fourths of departments required deputies to complete in-service training as well, with a median annual requirement of 20 hours. Expenditures and pay * Sheriffs' departments had total operating expenditures of $13.1 billion during fiscal 1997, 10% more than in 1993 after adjusting for inflation. Expenditures averaged $73,000 per sworn officer, and $49 per resident. * Starting salaries for deputies averaged about $26,000, ranging from an average of $19,400 in the smallest counties to $30,200 in the largest. Nationwide, 48% of sheriffs' deputies worked for a department that authorized collective bargaining. Minority sheriffs' officers, 1987, 1990, 1993, and 1997 Percent of full-time sworn personnel 1987 1990 1993 1997 All minorities 13.4% 15.5% 16.9% 19.0% Black 8.3% 9.8% 10.0% 11.8% Hispanic 4.3% 4.7% 5.8% 5.9% *Includes blacks, Hispanic, Asians, Pacific Islanders, Indians, and Alaska Natives. Operations * A large percentage of sheriffs' departments performed basic law enforcement functions such as providing routine patrol services (98%), responding to citizen calls for service (95%), investigating crimes (91%), and enforcing traffic laws (84%). * Most sheriffs' departments had drug enforcement responsibilities (87%), and just over half of them, employing 80% of all officers, had drug asset forfeiture receipts during fiscal 1997. * About a third had officers assigned full-time to a drug enforcement unit (3,500 officers), and half had officers assigned to a multi-agency drug task force (2,900 officers). * In addition to traditional law enforcement duties, nearly all sheriffs' departments were responsible for performing court-related functions such as serving civil process (98%) and providing court security (95%). Eighty percent operated a jail. * About 5 in 6 sheriffs' departments participated in a 9-1-1 emergency telephone system during 1997, compared to 4 in 6 during 1993. In 1997, 51% of the departments had enhanced 9-1-1 systems (capable of pinpointing the source of a call automatically) compared to 36% in 1993. Community policing * Thirty-four percent of sheriffs' departments serving a population of 250,000 or more had a formal written community policing plan. Overall, about 3 in 4 sheriffs' officers worked for a department with some type of community plan. * Thirty-five percent of departments serving a population of 100,000 or more had a community policing unit with full-time personnel. Another 16% had personnel who were designated to perform community policing activities but were not part of a separate unit. * During the 3-year period ending June 30, 1997, about half of sheriffs' departments trained at least some of their in-service officers (55%) and new officer recruits (47%) in community policing. Twenty-nine percent reported all new recruits received such training. * About 5 in 6 sheriffs' departments met with community groups during the 12-month period ending June 30, 1997. More than a fourth had formed problem-solving partnerships through written agreements (29%). * About 3 in 8 sheriffs' departments had deputies assigned full-time as school resource officers. Nationwide, about 2,900 deputies worked as school resource officers during 1997. Equipment * Ninety-five percent of sheriffs' departments, employing 98% of all sheriffs' officers, authorized the use of semiautomatic sidearms in 1997. These percentages represented increases over the 1993 figures of 82% and 91%. * In 1997, nearly all sheriffs' departments authorized the use of nonlethal weapons by officers. From 1993 to 1997, the percent authorizing pepper spray increased from 56% to 87% while the percentage authorizing batons remained at about 80%. Sheriffs' departments authorizing the use of pepper spray by officers, 1993 and 1997 Population served Percent of agencies 1993 1997 Under 25,000 52% 82% 25,000-99,999 55% 92% 100,000-499,999 70% 90% 500,000 or more 72% 93% * Thirty-nine percent of sheriffs' departments required all of their regular field officers to wear protective body armor while on duty in 1997, up from 30% in 1993. * Nationwide, sheriffs' departments operated approximately 97,000 cars during 1997, or about 54 per 100 officers. About a third of these cars were unmarked. * Nearly a third of sheriffs' departments were using boats in 1997, including about half of those serving a population of 50,000 or more. Small percentages used airplanes (4%) or helicopters (4%). Computers and information systems * Ninety-three percent of sheriffs' departments used computers in 1997, compared to 82% in 1993. In 1997, 29% of departments, employing 66% of all officers, used mobile computers or terminals in the field compared to 17% and 50% in 1993. * In 1997, about 3 in 4 sheriffs' departments maintained computerized information on warrants (75%), arrests (74%) and incident reports (74%). About 3 in 5 had files on calls for service (60%), criminal histories (60%), and stolen property (59%). Sheriffs' departments using in-field computers or terminals, 1993 and 1997 Population served Percent of agencies 1993 1997 Under 25,000 6% 17% 25,000-99,999 21% 33% 100,000-499,999 44% 59% 500,000 or more 62% 74% * In nearly 1 in 8 departments, officers could access vehicle and driving records by computer while in the field. This was the case in about half of the departments serving a population of 250,000 or more. * About 7 in 8 sheriffs' departments transmitted criminal incident field data to a central information system through paper reports in 1997. The remainder used other methods such as laptop download, disk transfer, wireless transmission, or telephone lines. Written policy directives * Nearly all sheriffs' departments (93%) had a written policy on pursuit driving. Most (57%) limited vehicle pursuits according to specific criteria such as speed or offense. About 30% had a policy that left the decision to the officer's discretion. Five percent discouraged all vehicle pursuits. * Ninety-one percent of sheriffs' departments, employing 99% of all officers, had a written policy on the use of deadly force. Eighty-four percent, employing 90% of all officers, had a policy on the use of nonlethal force. * Eighty-five percent of sheriffs' departments had a policy on handling domestic disputes. Most also had a policy on handling juveniles (83%) and mentally ill persons (67%). 10/29/99 ih Revised 12/15/00 pm