Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, 1996

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Revised 7/16/98 pm

ADVANCE FOR RELEASE AT 4:30 P.M. EDT       BJS
SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 1998              202/307-0784
        
THE NUMBER OF STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT 
OFFICERS ASSIGNED TO PATROL AND RESPONSE
DUTIES   GREW BY 19 PERCENT IN FOUR YEARS

     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The number of 
full-time state and local law enforcement 
officers whose regularly assigned duties 
included responding to calls for service grew 
by an estimated 67,000 officers to 423,000 
officers between 1992 and 1996, an increase 
of 19 percent, the Department's 
Bureau of Justice Statistics reported today.  

     As of June 1996 the total number of 
full-time state and local officers with arrest
powers was 663,535--an increase of 55,000
officers since 1992.  Civilian support staff
employment increased during the four-year
period by 20,000 to reach 258,443.

     There were 25 sworn and 10 non-sworn
state and local law enforcement agency
employees per 10,000 U.S. residents in 1996,
compared to 24 sworn and 9 non-sworn personnel
in 1992.

     In 1996, 18,769 state and local law
enforcement agencies employed at least one
full-time or part-time officer with general
arrest powers.  Seventy agencies employed
1,000 or more full-time sworn officers,
including 41 local police agencies, 15 state
police agencies, 12 sheriffs' departments and
two special police agencies (the New York City
public school system, with 2,899 sworn
officers, and the Port Authority of New 
York-New Jersey, 1,350 officers).  

     The largest law enforcement agency in the
country, the New York City Police Department,
employed 36,813 full-time officers.  On the
other hand, 2,245 agencies had just one 
full-time officer and 1,164 relied solely 
on part-time officers.

     Sixty-four percent of the state and local
law enforcement officers in 1996 were
uniformed personnel whose regularly assigned
duties included responding to calls for
service, compared to 59 percent in 1993. 
Another 15 percent of the full-time sworn
officers were assigned to investigative duties
in 1996.  

     Other officers performed administrative
work or were involved in training or technical
support.  Eight percent of full-time officers
were performing jail-related duties, and 3
percent were doing court work, such as service
process or court security.

     State and local law enforcement agencies
in California had 103,967 full-time employees,
sworn and non-sworn, in 1996, more than any
other state.  New York was second with 88,348, 
followed by Texas (73,112), Florida (60,808)
and Illinois (50,255).  Vermont had the fewest
(1,336), followed by North Dakota (1,537),
Wyoming (2,149) and Montana (2,541).

     The bulletin, "Census of State and Local
Law Enforcement Agencies, 1996" (NCJ-164618)
was written by BJS statisticians Brian A.
Reaves and Andrew L. Goldberg.  Single copies
may be obtained from the BJS fax-on-demand
system by dialing 301/519-5550, listening to
the menu, and selecting document number 114 or 
by calling the BJS Clearinghouse at
1-800/732-3277.  The BJS Internet site is:

      http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/

     Additional criminal justice materials can
be obtained from the Office of Justice
Programs Internet homepage at:

         http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov

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BJS98129 
After hours contact:  Stu Smith at 
301/983-9354