Brian A. Reaves, Ph.D., Bureau of Justice Statistics

July 26, 2011    NCJ 233982

Presents the results of the Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, which is conducted every four years and covers approximately 18,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide. This report includes the number of state and local law enforcement agencies as of September 2008 and the number of sworn and civilian employees. Breakdowns are presented for general purpose agencies, including local police departments, sheriffs' offices, and primary state law enforcement agencies. The report also provides data for agencies that serve special jurisdictions "such as parks, college campuses, airports, or transit systems" or that have special enforcement responsibilities pertaining to laws in areas such as natural resources, alcohol, or gaming.

Highlights:

• State and local law enforcement agencies employed about 1,133,000 persons on a full-time basis in 2008, including 765,000 sworn personnel.
• About half (49%) of all agencies employed fewer than 10 full-time officers. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of sworn personnel worked for agencies that employed 100 or more officers.
• From 2004 to 2008, state and local law enforcement agencies added about 9,500 more full-time sworn personnel than during the previous 4-year period.

Part of the Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies Series

Full report (PDF 836K)
ASCII file (36K)
Spreadsheets (Zip format 23K)

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