U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Law Enforcement management and Administrative Statistics Local Police Departments 2000 January 2003, NCJ 196002 ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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/lpd00.htm This report is on 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Lawrence A. Greenfeld Director Matthew J. Hickman and Brian A. Reaves prepared this report. Tom Hester and Tina Dorsey edited the report. Jayne Robinson administered final report production. The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services COPS) provided partial funding for the 2000 Census. Debra Cohen and Matthew Scheider of COPS assisted with questionnaire development More information on COPS can be obtained at their website www.usdoj.gov/cops>. Data were collected and processed by the U.S. Census Bureau, with assistance from BJS. Census Bureau staff, under the supervision of Latrice Brogsdale-Davis and Charlene Sebold included Theresa Reitz, Martha Greene, Patricia Torreyson, Bill Bryner, and Paula Kinard. 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. Data presented in this report may be obtained from the National Archive of the Criminal Justice Data at the University of Michigan, 1-800-999-0960. The report and data are available on the Internet at: . Highlights The LEMAS survey Personnel Budget and pay Operations Community policing Equipment Computers and information systems Special arrest policies Methodology --------------------------------- Highlights Personnel * As of June 2000, local police departments had 565,915 full-time employees, including about 441,000 sworn personnel. Local police employment was up an average of about 2% per year since 1990. * Racial and ethnic minorities comprised 22.7% of full-time sworn personnel in 2000, up from 17.0% in 1990. Females comprised 10.6% of officers in 2000, up from 8.1% in 1990. * From 1990 to 2000, the number of African American local police officers increased by 13,300, or 35%; Hispanic officers by 17,600, or 93%; and female officers by 17,300, or 59%. * Nearly all officers worked for a department using criminal record checks (99%), background investigations (98%), driving record checks (98%), personal interviews (97%) and medical exams (96%)to screen applicants. Drug tests (88%) and psychological evaluations (88%) were also widely used. * In 2000, 15% of departments, employing 32% of all officers, required new recruits to have completed at least some college, up from 6% of departments, employing 10% of officers, in 1990. * State-mandated field and academy training requirements for new officers averaged about 750 hours combined. Additional training beyond state requirements averaged about 300 hours. Budget and pay * Departments had total operating budgets of $36.7 billion during fiscal 2000, 33% more than in 1990 after adjusting for inflation. Operating expenditures in 2000 averaged $80,600 per sworn officer, and $179 per resident. * In 2000 starting salaries for local police officers ranged from an average of about $21,000 in the smallest jurisdictions to about $34,000 in the largest. About 3 in 4 officers worked for a department that authorized collective bargaining. Operations * All departments used automobiles for routine patrol. In addition, 62% of departments, including 86% of those serving 250,000 or more residents, used foot patrol routinely. An estimated 43%, including 94% of those serving 100,000 or more residents, used bicycle patrol on a regular basis. * In 2000, 89% of local police departments, employing 98% of all officers, participated in a 9-1-1 emergency system compared to 48% and 78% in 1990. In 2000, 71% of departments, employing 89% of all officers, had enhanced 9-1-1, compared to 18% and 49% in 1990. * Fifteen percent of departments had officers assigned full time to a special unit for drug enforcement, with 13,600 officers so assigned nationwide. About a fifth of departments had officers assigned to a multi-agency drug task force, with a total of 5,800 officers assigned full time nationwide. * Thirty-seven percent of departments, employing 79% of all officers, had drug asset forfeiture receipts during 1999. Collectively, departments received an estimated $320 million in receipts, or $872 per sworn officer employed. * Thirty percent of local police departments were responsible for providing court security, 21% for serving civil process, and 14% for operating a jail. Community policing * Sixty-eight percent of local police departments, employing 90% of all officers, had a community policing plan of some type. Eighteen percent of departments, employing 50% of officers, had a formal, written plan. * Two-thirds of all departments, employing 86% of all officers, used full-time community policing officers in 2000. Collectively, there were about 103,000 local police officers so designated. * More than two-thirds of the departments serving a population of 25,000 or more, and more than four- fifths of those serving a population of 250,000 or more, trained all new officer recruits in community policing. * More than 9 in 10 departments serving a population of 10,000 or more regularly met with community groups during 2000. Nearly 7 in 10 departments serving 50,000 or more residents conducted a citizen police academy. * About a third of all departments, including about two-thirds of those serving 50,000 or more residents, upgraded technology in 2000 to support community policing efforts. * Forty-four percent of departments, employing 74% of all officers, used full-time school resource officers in 2000. Collectively, these agencies employed about 14,000 such officers. Equipment * Ninety-eight percent of local police departments, employing 99% of all officers, authorized the use of semiautomatic sidearms in 2000. These were increases from 73% and 91% in 1990. * An estimated 91% of departments, employing 93% of all officers, authorized use of chemical agents such as pepper spray during 2000, up from 51% and 72% in 1990. * In 2000, 56% of departments, employing 57% of all officers, required all field officers to wear protective body armor, compared to 24% and 25% in 1990. * Nationwide, local police departments in 2000 operated an estimated 231,000 cars, or about 1 car for every 2 officers employed. About a third of these cars were unmarked. * About 1 in 4 departments used dogs for law enforcement work, including more than 90% of those serving a population of 100,000 or more. Just 2% of departments used horses; however, a majority of those serving 250,000 or more residents did so. * Forty-five percent of all local police departments regularly used video cameras in 2000. Thirty-seven percent used them in patrol cars. Seven percent of departments used video cameras for traffic enforcement. Computers and information systems * From 1990 to 2000, the percentage of local police departments using in-field computers increased from 5% to 40%. Departments using in-field computers employed 75% of all officers in 2000, up from 30% in 1990. * The percentage of local police departments using computers for Internet access rose from 24% in 1997 to 56% in 2000. During 2000, about 9 in 10 departments serving 50,000 or more residents had this capability. * From 1997 to 2000, the percentage of officers employed by a department with in-field computer access to vehicle records increased from 56% to 69%, driving records from 51% to 58%, calls for service histories from 23% to 37%, and criminal histories from 25% to 29%. * In 2000, 75% of departments used paper reports as the primary means to transmit criminal incident field data to a central information system, down from 86% in 1997. During the same time period, use of computer and data devices increased from 9% to 19%. Written policy directives * Nearly all departments (93%) had a written policy on pursuit driving. Three-fifths restricted vehicle pursuits according to specific criteria such as speed or offense. About a fourth had a policy that left the decision to the officer’s discretion. Seven percent discouraged all vehicle pursuits. * Ninety-three percent of local police departments, employing 99% of all officers, had a written policy on the use of deadly force. Eighty-seven percent, employing 95% of all officers, had a policy on the use of nonlethal force. * About 9 in 10 departments, employing 97% of officers, had a special policy regarding arrest for domestic assaults. Seventy-two percent had a mandatory arrest policy, and 17% had a pro-arrest policy. * About 8 in 10 departments, employing 93% of officers, had a special policy regarding arrest for violations of protection orders. Sixty-three percent had a mandatory arrest policy, and 18% had a pro-arrest policy. --------------------------------------------- The LEMAS survey During 2000, 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, 1997, and 1999. This report presents data from the 2000 survey describing the nearly 13,000 local police departments operating in the United States in terms of their personnel, expenditures and pay, operations, community policing initiatives, equipment, computers and information systems, and written policies. Comparisons are made with prior years where appropriate. Nearly all local police departments are operated by municipal (85%) or township (13%) governments. As of 2000, a total of 171 local police departments were operated by tribal governments, and 52 by county governments. The 2000 LEMAS survey questionnaire was mailed to 3,132 State and local law enforcement agencies, including all 881 agencies with 100 or more sworn officers (see Methodology for a description of the sample). The overall response rate was 97.4%. Among local police departments, 1,975 of 2,019 surveys were returned for a 97.8% response rate. This report and its companion report (Sheriffs' Offices 2000, NCJ-196534), summarize data collected from agencies of all sizes. Trend data on the police departments serving the 62 largest U.S. cities were previously published in the BJS Special Report (Police Departments in Large Cities: 1990-2000, NCJ-175703). Personnel As of June 30, 2000, local police departments had 565,915 full-time employees. They also employed about 62,000 persons on a part-time basis. Approximately 441,000, or 78%, of full-time local police employees were sworn personnel (those with general arrest powers). Local police departments employed 62% of all State and local sworn officers nationwide. Their 124,995 full-time civilian employees comprised 40% of all nonsworn State and local law enforcement employees. There were about 106,000, or 23%, more full-time local police employees in 2000 than in 1990. When only sworn personnel are considered, employment by local police departments increased by about 78,000, or 21.5%, from 1990 to 2000. Overall, the number of part-time local police employees increased by about 8,400, or 16%, from 1990 to 2000. When only sworn personnel are considered, part-time employment by local police departments was up by about 2,800, or 11.4%, from 1990 to 2000. According to a census of law enforcement agencies conducted by BJS during 2000, 582 local police departments employed at least 100 sworn personnel (4.6%), including 47 with 1,000 or more officers (0.4%). A total of 5,894 departments employed fewer than 10 sworn personnel (46.5%), including nearly 700 with just one officer (5.3%). (See Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, 2000, NCJ- 194066). Thirty-four percent of all full-time local police officers were employed by a department with 1,000 or more sworn personnel, and 61% were employed by a department with at least 100 sworn personnel. Departments that employed fewer than 10 officers accounted for about 5% of officers nationwide. Although 74% of all local police departments served fewer than 10,000 residents, these agencies employed just 15% of all officers. About half of all officers served a jurisdiction with 100,000 or more residents. Departments serving 1 million or more residents had an average of 8,334 full-time employees, including 6,445 sworn personnel. In contrast, departments serving fewer than 2,500 residents had an average of 4 full-time employees, including 3 sworn officers. The vast majority of part-time local police employees were nonsworn, with an average of more than 500 such employees in the largest jurisdictions. The average number of sworn part-time employees was no higher than 3 in any population category. Among municipal police departments serving a population of 1,000 or more, the average ratio of full-time officers per 1,000 residents was 2.6. Those serving 25,000 to 249,999 residents had the lowest average ratio (1.8). Overall, 68% of full-time local police officers had regularly assigned duties that included responding to calls for service. The proportion of officers responding to calls ranged from slightly more than 6 in 10 in departments serving 50,000 or more residents, to about 9 in 10 in those serving fewer than 10,000 residents. As of June 30, 2000, local police departments collectively employed 97% of the maximum number of full-time sworn personnel authorized by their budgets. The lowest actual-to-authorized ratio for full-time sworn personnel was among departments serving 250,000 to 499,999 residents (93%). Gender and race of officers Of the 440,920 full-time sworn personnel in local police departments as of June 2000, an estimated 10.6% were women. The percentage of female officers ranged from 16.5% in departments serving a population of 500,000 or more to about 4% of the officers in jurisdictions with fewer than 2,500 residents. In 2000, an estimated 22.6% of full-time local police officers were members of a racial or ethnic minority. Minority officers comprised more than a third of the total in jurisdictions with 500,000 or more residents. Blacks or African Americans accounted for 11.7% of all local police officers in 2000. Black employment was highest among departments serving a population of 500,000 to 999,999 (25.2%). An estimated 8.3% of local police officers nationwide were Hispanic or Latino, with the highest representation among departments serving a population of 1 million or more (17.3%). In 2000 the estimated 46,659 female officers represented an increase of about 17,300, or 59%, from 1990. During this time female representation among local police officers increased from 8.1% to 10.6%. The number of local police officers who were members of a racial or ethnic minority in 2000 (99,591) represented an increase of about 38,000, or 61%, over 1990 levels. From 1990 to 2000, minority representation in local police departments increased from 17.0% to 22.7%. The estimated 51,363 full-time black or African American local police officers employed in 2000 represented an increase of about 13,300, or 35%, compared to 1990. This resulted in an increase in the percentage of officers who were black from 10.5% to 11.7%. An estimated 36,442 Hispanic or Latino officers were employed by local police departments in 2000. This was about 17,600, or 93%, more than in 1990. From 1990 to 2000, the percentage of local police officers who were Hispanic or Latino rose from 5.2% to 8.3%. From 1990 to 2000 representation by other minority groups such as Asians, Pacific Islanders, and American Indians increased by 150% to about 11,800 officers. These groups comprised 2.7% of local police officers in 2000 compared to 1.3% in 1990. Screening of officer applicants Local police departments employed a variety of screening methods when hiring new officers. Nearly all used personal interviews (96%), and a majority used medical exams (81%), drug tests (67%), and psychological evaluations (61%). Among departments serving 25,000 or more residents, about 8 in 10 used physical agility tests and written aptitude tests. More than half the departments in these population categories used personality inventories and polygraph exams. In addition to interviews, tests, and examinations, nearly all departments screened recruits through background investigations (96%), criminal record checks (96%), and driving record checks (93%). About half conducted credit record checks (48%). Nearly all local police officers were employed by departments that screened recruits with criminal record checks (99%), background investigations (98%), driving record checks (98%), personal interviews (97%), and medical exams (96%). About 7 in 8 were employed by departments that used psychological evaluations (88%) and drug tests (88%). About 3 in 4 worked for departments that used physical agility tests (77%), aptitude tests (76%), and credit checks (75%). Education and training requirements Nearly all (98%) local police departments had an education requirement for new officer recruits. The typical minimum requirement was a high school diploma (83%). Fifteen percent of departments had some type of college requirement, usually a 2-year degree (8%). Just 1% required new recruits to have a 4-year college degree. The percentage of officers employed by a department with some type of college requirement for new officers in 2000 (32%) was about 3 times that of 1990 (10%). From 1990 to 2000, the percentage of officers employed by a department with a degree requirement increased from 3% to 9%. In 2000 new local police recruits were required to complete an average of about 1,600 hours of academy and field training in departments serving 100,000 or more residents, compared to about 800 hours in those serving a population of less than 2,500. On average, about 70% of these training hours were State mandated, with the remainder a departmental requirement. The average annual in-service training requirement for non-probationary officers was 73 hours, including 26 State-mandated hours. Overall, just 4% of departments operated a training academy; however, nearly all of those serving a population of 250,000 or more did so. Nationwide, 47% of all officers were employed by a department that operated an academy. Budget and pay Operating budgets The total operating budget of local police departments during fiscal 2000 was about $36.7 billion, 78% more than in 1990. Controlling for inflation, the net increase in total budget was 33%. (These figures do not include budgets for capital expenditures such as equipment purchases or construction projects.) Local police departments accounted for 56% of the $65.7 billion in total operating budgets for State and local law enforcement agencies during fiscal 2000. Nationwide, operating budgets were about $2.9 million per department for fiscal 2000, ranging from about $553 million for departments serving a population of 1 million or more, to $195,000 among those serving fewer than 2,500 residents. The overall operating cost per resident was $179, with departments in jurisdictions with a population of 1 million or more costing the most to operate, $262 per resident. Departments serving a population of 2,500 to 9,999 had the lowest per resident cost -- $142. Nationwide, local police departments cost an estimated $80,600 per sworn officer to operate for fiscal 2000, ranging from $96,100 per officer in jurisdictions with a population of 250,000 to 499,999, to $42,300 per officer in jurisdictions with a population under 2,500. When both sworn and nonsworn employees are included, the average operating budget for local police departments was about $61,400 per employee for the year. Operating costs ranged from more than $69,000 per employee in jurisdictions with 250,000 to 999,999 residents to about $35,800 per employee in those with fewer than 2,500 residents. After controlling for inflation, per officer operating costs for 2000 were $7,100, or 9.7%, higher than in 1990. The largest increase, from $73,400 to $90,500, was recorded in jurisdictions with 50,000 to 249,999 residents. The smallest increase, from $46,200 to $53,400, was in jurisdictions with under 10,000 residents. Salaries The overall average base starting salary for local police chiefs was $43,700 in 2000. Average starting salaries for chiefs ranged from $104,400 in jurisdictions with 1 million or more residents to $30,200 in those with a population under 2,500. Salaries for first-line supervisors (sergeant or equivalent) increased with jurisdiction size in a pattern similar to that for entry-level officers. Overall, the average starting salary for sergeants was $35,100, ranging from $53,700 in the largest jurisdictions to $26,000 in the smallest. When size of department is considered, the average minimum salary earned by local police sergeants was an estimated $46,900. By department, the average base starting salary offered to entry-level patrol officers in 2000 was $25,500. Starting salaries ranged from $20,900 in jurisdictions with fewer than 2,500 residents to more than $34,000 in those with a population of 50,000 to 499,999. When size of department is factored in, it is estimated that new entry-level local police officers started at an average salary of about $31,700 during 2000. From 1990 to 2000 average starting salaries increased 35% for entry-level officers from $18,900 to $25,500. However, after controlling for inflation, the increase was 0.8%. By population category, the largest increase was in jurisdictions with fewer than 10,000 residents, where salaries rose an average of 30.7% after adjusting for inflation, from $17,791 to $23,254. Smaller increases occurred in jurisdictions with 50,000 to 249,999 residents, from $31,841 to $34,276 (7.6%); and jurisdictions with 10,000 to 49,999 residents, from $29,568 to $30,624 (3.4%). In jurisdictions with 250,000 or more residents, starting salaries for officers declined 0.8%, from $34,124 to $33,867. Special pay Nationwide, 38% of local police departments, employing 58% of all officers, offered tuition reimbursement to officers. This included a majority of departments serving 10,000 or more residents. An estimated 30% of departments offered education incentive pay to qualifying officers, including a majority of those serving a population of 10,000 or more. About half (49%) of all local police officers worked for a department that offered this type of incentive pay. Twenty-one percent of local police departments, employing 30% of all local police officers, offered merit pay to qualifying sworn personnel. Nineteen percent of departments offered shift differential pay to full-time officers. This included a majority of the departments serving a population of 250,000 or more. Nationwide, 49% of local police officers were employed by a department with shift differential pay. Twelve percent of departments offered special skills pay, including two-thirds of departments serving a population of 1 million or more and about two-fifths of departments serving a population of 50,000 to 999,999. Overall, 31% of local police officers worked in a department that offered special skills pay. Hazardous duty pay was available in 4% of all local police departments, employing 22% of all officers. About half of the departments serving a population of 500,000 or more offered this type of pay. Work-related policies Forty-eight percent of local police departments, employing 69% of all officers, had a written policy on the maximum number of hours that officers can work. About three-fourths of departments serving a population of 500,000 or more residents maintained such a policy, compared to about a third of those serving a population of less than 2,500. Seventy-eight percent of departments, employing 94% of all officers, had a written policy pertaining to off-duty employment by officers. More than 90% of departments serving 10,000 or residents or more had such a policy. Unions and collective bargaining Nationwide, 40% of all local police departments, employing 72% of all officers, authorized collective bargaining for sworn personnel. At least 65% of the departments in each population category of 10,000 or more authorized collective bargaining for officers. Nonsworn personnel in local police departments were less likely to have collective bargaining rights than sworn employees. Overall, 20% of local police departments, employing 57% of all nonsworn local police personnel, authorized collective bargaining for civilian employees. The average starting salary for entry-level officers was about $8,000 higher in departments that authorized collective bargaining than in those that did not authorize it. Departments with collective bargaining for officers had higher average entry-level salaries in all population categories. In jurisdictions with fewer than 10,000 residents the difference was about $6,200, 10,000 to 49,999 residents, $6,400; 50,000 to 249,999 residents, $6,300; and 250,000 or more residents, $1,500. Patrol and response In 2000 all local police departments used automobiles to provide routine patrol services in their jurisdiction. In addition, 62% of all departments used foot patrol units on a routine basis. This included 86% of those serving a population of 250,000 or more. Departments with routine foot patrol employed 75% of all officers. More than 9 in 10 departments serving 100,000 or more residents had routine bike patrols, as did about three-fourths of the departments serving 10,000 to 99,999 residents. Overall, 43% of departments, employing 83% of all officers, used bicycle patrol units on a routine basis. The percentage of departments using foot and bicycle patrols has increased since 1997, when 50% of local departments reported using foot patrols, and 28% reported using bicycle patrols. From 1997 to 2000, the percentage of departments using one or both of these patrol types increased from 60% to 74%. Overall, just 12% of departments used motorcycle patrol on a routine basis during 2000. However, 88% of those serving 100,000 or more residents did so. Departments using motorcycle patrols employed 58% of all officers. Few departments routinely scheduled marine (3%) or horse (2%) patrol units. However, more than half of the departments serving 500,000 or more residents used these types of patrol. All but a few small local police departments regularly responded to citizen calls for service. Nearly half of all departments dispatched calls as well. This included all departments serving a population of 1 million or more, about 9 in 10 departments serving a population of 250,000 to 999,999, and about 8 in 10 departments serving a population of 10,000 to 249,999. 9-1-1 emergency telephone system In 2000, 89% of local police departments 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. At least 9 in 10 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. About 7 in 10 local police departments had enhanced 9-1-1 systems, capable of automatically displaying information such as a caller's phone number, address, and special needs. This included approximately 9 in 10 departments serving a population of 10,000 or more. About three-fifths of departments in jurisdictions with fewer than 2,500 residents had enhanced 9-1-1. The 89% participation rate in 9-1-1 during 2000 was a substantial increase from 1990 when 48% of departments were 9-1-1 participants. In 2000, 98% of all local police officers worked for departments with 9-1-1. The 71% of departments participating in an enhanced 9-1-1 system in 2000 also represented a large increase over 1990 when 18% were participants. In 2000, 90% of local police officers were employed by a department with enhanced 9-1-1. Among existing local police 9-1-1 systems, there were about twice as many with enhanced capabilities in 2000 (80%) as in 1990 (38%). The percent of systems that were enhanced was up significantly in all population categories (see cover graph). In jurisdictions with fewer than 10,000 residents, the percent of systems with enhanced capabilities went from 28% in 1990 to 75% in 2000; 10,000 to 49,999 residents, from 53% to 90%; 50,000 to 249,999 residents, from 63% to 92%; 250,000 or more residents, from 74% to 98%. Crime investigation Overall, 93% of local police departments regularly investigated at least some types of crimes during the 12-month period ending June 30, 2000. Fifty-eight percent handled homicide investigations. This included all departments serving 250,000 or more residents and more than 9 in 10 departments serving a population of 25,000 to 249,999. Sixty-one percent of all departments conducted arson investigations. This included more than four-fifths of the departments serving 10,000 to 99,999 residents and more than two-thirds of those serving 100,000 or more residents. Drug enforcement activities About 9 in 10 local police departments regularly performed drug enforcement functions. More than 90% of the departments in each population category of 2,500 or more had drug enforcement responsibilities, including all of those serving 100,000 or more residents. Departments with drug enforcement responsibilities employed 98% of all local police officers. Fifteen percent of local police departments operated a special unit for drug enforcement with one or more officers assigned full-time. All departments serving 1 million or more residents had a full-time drug enforcement unit, as did the majority of those serving a population of 50,000 to 999,999, and nearly half of those serving 25,000 to 49,999 residents. There were an estimated 13,644 local police officers assigned full time to drug enforcement units nationwide. The average number of officers assigned ranged from 335 in jurisdictions with 1 million or more residents to 1 in those with fewer than 10,000 residents. Drug task force participation In 2000 an estimated 21% of local police departments had one or more officers assigned full time to a multi-agency drug enforcement task force. About two- thirds of all local police officers worked for a department that assigned officers to a task force. Nationwide, about 5,800 local police officers were assigned full time to a drug task force. The average number assigned full time ranged from 35 in departments serving a population of 1 million or more to about 2 in those serving fewer than 100,000 residents. Drug asset forfeiture receipts Thirty-seven percent of all local police departments received money, property, or goods from a drug asset forfeiture program during 1999. These departments employed 79% of all local police officers. At least 82% of the departments in each population category of 25,000 or more had drug asset forfeiture receipts. The overall median amount received from drug asset forfeiture programs by local police departments during 1999 was $5,000. By population category, the median amount received ranged from about $1.9 million among departments serving a population of 1 million or more to $2,000 among those serving fewer than 2,500 residents. Local police departments received an estimated $320 million in money goods, and property during 1999. Including both departments with receipts and those without, this was the equivalent of $703 per sworn officer employed. Departments with at least 100 but fewer than 1,000 full-time officers received the most -- more than $900 per officer. Next highest were departments with 50 to 99 officers or 1,000 or more officers with about $800 per officer. Departments with fewer than 25 officers received the least -- $178 per officer. Court-related functions Although 90% of local police departments executed arrest warrants, just 30% provided court security and 21% served civil process. Departments handling court security employed 29% of all officers and those serving civil process, 24%. Detention-related functions Fourteen percent of local police departments operated at least one jail during 2000. No more than 35% of the departments in any population category were operating a jail, and just 6% of the departments in jurisdictions with fewer than 2,500 residents operated one. Twenty-seven percent of all local police officers worked for a department with a jail. Twenty-six percent of departments operated at least one temporary holding (lockup) facility for adults that was separate from a jail. The median maximum holding time for these facilities was 12 hours. The median total capacity of adult lockups ranged from 100 in jurisdictions with 250,000 to 499,999 residents to 3 in those with fewer than 10,000 residents. The total adult capacity of local police lockups nationwide was about 25,500. Thirteen percent of departments had a lockup facility for juveniles. The median capacity of juvenile lockups ranged from 15 in jurisdictions with 500,000 to 999,999 residents to 2 in those with fewer than 50,000 residents. Nationwide local police lockups for juveniles had a total capacity of about 4,600 with a median maximum holding time of 6 hours. Special operations functions An estimated 30% of local police departments, employing 53% of all officers, performed search and rescue operations on a regular basis during 2000. A majority of departments serving a population of 250,000 or more performed this function, compared to about a third of those serving fewer than 100,000 residents. Twenty-two percent of departments performed tactical operations, utilizing what are commonly known as SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) teams. These departments employed 72% of all local police officers. All departments serving a population of 250,000 or more performed tactical operations, and a large majority of those serving a population of 50,000 to 249,999 did so as well. Community policing Community policing promotes organizational strategies to address the causes and reduce the fear of crime and social disorder through problem-solving tactics and community partnerships. A fundamental shift from traditional reactive policing, community policing stresses the prevention of crime before it occurs. The implementation of a community policing plan supports and empowers front-line officers, decentralizes command, and encourages innovative problem solving. In 2000, 18% of local police departments, employing 52% of all local police officers, had a formally written community policing plan. More than three-fifths of departments serving 100,000 or more residents had a formal plan, as did about half of those serving a population of 50,000 to 99,999. In all population categories, a majority of departments had either a formal, written community policing plan or an informal, unwritten plan. Departments serving a population of less than 50,000 were more likely to have an informal, unwritten plan than a formal, written one. Overall, 90% of local police officers worked for a department with some type of community policing plan. Community policing training During the year ending June 30, 2000, 51% of local police departments, employing 84% of all officers, trained at least some new recruits in community policing skills such as problem-solving; Scanning, Analysis, Response, Assessment (SARA); and developing community partnerships. Thirty-eight percent of departments, employing 75% of all officers, trained all new recruits in community policing. The proportion of departments that trained all recruits ranged from nearly 8 in 10 among those serving 50,000 or more residents to 2 in 10 among those serving fewer than 2,500 residents. Fifty-nine percent of departments, employing 59% of officers, trained at least some in-service officers during the 1-year period. Twenty-one percent of departments, employing 25% of all officers, trained all in-service officers in community policing. Fifteen percent of departments, employing 32% of nonsworn local police employees, trained at least some civilian employees in community policing during the 1-year period. This included about half of the departments serving a population of 50,000 to 249,999. Community policing personnel Overall, 66% of departments, employing 86% of all officers, had full-time sworn personnel serving as community policing officers. In some jurisdictions, these officers may be known as community relations officers, community resource officers, or some other name indicative of the community policing approach they employed. Nationwide, local police departments employed about 103,000 community policing officers or their equivalent. A majority of departments in all population categories had full-time community policing officers. Those serving a population of 1 million or more employed 2,208 such officers on average. Departments serving fewer than 2,500 residents had 3 on average. In all population categories, the percentage of local police departments using community policing officers was greater in 2000 than in 1997. In jurisdictions with fewer than 10,000 residents, the percentage rose from 26% to 62%; in those with 10,000 to 49,999 residents, from 57% to 75%; in those with 50,000 to 249,999 residents, from 76% to 93%; and in those with 250,000 or more residents, from 75% to 92%. An estimated 44% of local police departments, employing 74% of all local police officers, had full-time sworn personnel assigned as school resource officers during 2000. A majority of departments serving a population of 10,000 or more used school resource officers, including more than 80% of those in jurisdictions with 25,000 to 499,999 residents. School resource 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. Overall, local police departments had nearly 14,000 full- time sworn personnel assigned as school resource officers as of June 2000. The average number of school resource officers ranged from 85 in departments serving 1 million or more residents, to 2 in those serving fewer than 25,000 residents. Community-oriented policies and programs Forty percent of local police departments, employing 78% of local police officers, gave patrol officers responsibility for specific geographic areas or beats during 2000. This included a majority of the departments serving a population of 10,000 or more. Just 9% of departments, employing 46% 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. Thirty-two percent of departments, employing 56% of all officers, actively encouraged patrol officers to become involved in problem-solving projects. More than half of the departments serving 50,000 or more residents had such a policy, as did half of those serving 25,000 to 49,999 residents. Fourteen percent of departments included problem- solving projects in the performance evaluation criteria for patrol officers. This included at least 30% of those in each population category of 25,000 or more. Departments including problem-solving projects in performance evaluation criteria employed 35% of all officers. Thirty-two percent of departments, employing 63% of all officers, upgraded technology during 2000 to support their community policing efforts. This included a majority of departments serving 25,000 or more residents, and half of departments serving 10,000 to 24,999 residents. An estimated 18% of departments enhanced their proactive role in solving community problems by forming problem-solving partnerships with community groups, local agencies, or others through written agreements. This included about half of the departments serving a population of 50,000 or more. Departments forming partnerships through written agreements employed 39% of all officers. Seventeen percent of departments, employing 51% of all officers, offered training to citizens on community policing topics such as community mobilization and problem-solving during the 12-month period ending June 30, 2000. A majority of departments serving 50,000 or more residents offered such training. Fifteen percent of all departments, employing 57% of all officers, conducted a citizen police academy during the year ending June 30, 2000. A majority of departments serving a population of 50,000 or more conducted citizen academies during this period, while fewer than 1 in 10 departments serving a population of under 10,000 did so. About three-quarters of departments, including more than 90% of those serving 10,000 or more residents, met regularly with community groups during the year ending June 30, 2000. Departments holding regular community group meetings employed 94% of all officers. Most departments met with a wide variety of community groups. Those that regularly met with neighborhood associations (77%) and school groups (76%) employed about three-fourths of all local police officers. The corresponding percentages for other types of groups that departments met with were as follows: business groups (68%), senior citizen groups (59%), domestic violence groups (57%), local public agencies (57%), advocacy groups (53%), youth service organizations (52%), religious groups (48%), and tenants’ associations (47%). Twenty-six percent of local police departments, employing 50% of all officers, surveyed citizens in their jurisdiction during the year ending June 30, 2000. Eighteen percent of departments, employing 44% of all officers, surveyed citizens' regarding their satisfaction with police services. A majority of the departments serving 100,000 to 999,999 conducted this type of survey. Twelve percent of departments, employing 37% of all officers, surveyed citizens regarding their perception of crime problems; 11%, employing 26% of all officers, surveyed citizens regarding crime reporting; and 7%, employing 27% of all officers, surveyed citizens regarding their personal crime experiences. A majority of the departments conducting surveys used the data to provide information to officers (65%), or to evaluate program effectiveness (54%). Other common uses included prioritizing crime and disorder problems (47%), formulating agency policy and procedures (42%), training development (39%), and allocation of resources to neighborhoods (35%). Equipment Sidearms In 2000, 98% of local police departments, employing 99% of all local police officers, authorized the use of some type of semiautomatic sidearm. This represents a significant increase from 1990 when 73% of departments, employing 91% of all officers, authorized semiautomatics. In 2000, 75% of departments authorized the .40-caliber semiautomatic. This represents an increase from 57% in 1997, the first year for which comparable data are available. Departments authorizing the .40-caliber in 2000 employed 60% of all officers Sixty-seven percent of departments, employing 75% of all officers, authorized the 9mm. Other semiautomatic sidearms authorized included the .45-caliber (54%), the .380-caliber (38%), and the 10mm (30%). Forty-four percent of departments authorized the use of revolvers by officers. Sixty percent local police departments, employing 71% of all officers, supplied regular field officers with their primary sidearm. Four percent of departments employing 3% of all officers, provided a cash allowance. Body armor In 2000, 64% of departments, employing 69% of all officers, required at least some field officers to wear protective body armor while on duty. Seventy-seven percent of departments, employing 88% of all officers, supplied armor to officers and 6% provided a cash allowance. The percentage of departments requiring all regular field officers to wear body armor increased from 24% in 1990 to 56% in 2000. Such an increase was seen in all population categories: Under 10,000 residents, 23% to 56%; 10,000 to 49,999, 27% to 59%; 50,000 to 249,999, 22% to 50%; 250,000 or more from 21% to 45%. Nonlethal weapons In 2000 nearly all local police departments authorized officers to use one or more types of nonlethal weapons. Chemical agents, such as pepper spray, were the most commonly authorized. Ninety-one percent of departments, employing 92% of officers, authorized the use of pepper spray. Batons were also commonly authorized, with 88% of all departments allowing their use. Departments authorizing one or more types of batons employed 96% of all officers. Collapsible batons (73%) were authorized by nearly twice as many departments as PR-24 (40%) or traditional (38%) batons. About four-fifths of local police officers nationwide worked for a department authorizing collapsible batons (78%) and about half for one authorizing traditional (55%) or PR-24 (47%) batons. Thirteen percent of departments, employing 44% of all officers, authorized flash/bang grenades. Seven percent of departments, employing 24% of all officers, authorized electrical devices such as stun guns and tasers. This included 40% of departments serving a population of 1 million or more. Seven percent of departments, employing 16% of all officers, authorized the use of carotid holds, choke holds, or neck restraints. Departments serving 1 million or more (40%) were the most likely to authorize these types of actions. From 1990 to 2000, in population categories of less than 250,000, there were large increases in the percentage of departments authorizing chemical agents. These increases were as follows: 50,000 to 249,999, 65% to 97%; 10,000 to 49,999 residents, 59% to 97%; under 10,000, 48% to 89%. In departments serving 250,000 or more residents, the increase was from 86% to 88%. In 2000, 93% of officers were employed by a department that authorized chemical agents, compared to 72% in 1990. Use of force policies Ninety-three percent of departments, employing 99% of all officers, had a written policy pertaining to the use of deadly force. All departments serving 25,000 or more residents, and nearly all of those serving 2,500 to 9,999 residents, had such a policy. Eighty-seven percent of departments, employing 95% of all officers, had a written policy pertaining to the use of nonlethal force. All departments serving a population of 1 million or more had this type of policy, as did more than 9 in 10 departments serving a population of 2,500 to 999,999. Vehicles Nationwide, local police departments operated an estimated 231,363 cars, or about 51 cars per 100 sworn personnel. By population category, the ratio of cars to officers was lowest in jurisdictions with 1 million or more residents -- 26 cars per 100 officers. It ranged from 51 to 64 cars per 100 officers in other population categories. About a third of the cars operated by local police departments were unmarked (35%). The percentage of cars that were unmarked ranged from 47% in jurisdictions with a population of 1 million or more to 14% in jurisdictions with fewer than 2,500 residents. In addition to cars, 44% of departments used other 4-wheel motorized vehicles such as sport utility vehicles, trucks or vans. This included a large majority of departments in jurisdictions serving 10,000 or more residents. Overall, there were about 24,000 such vehicles operated, or about 5 per 100 sworn personnel employed. About 1 in 8 departments used motorcycles during 2000, including about 9 in 10 departments serving a population of 100,000 or more. Nationwide, local police operated about 9,800 motorcycles, or about 2 for every 100 officers employed. Nearly half of all departments were using bicycles as of June 2000, with a total of nearly 29,000 nationwide. The ratio of bicycles to officers was highest in jurisdictions with a population of 2,500 to 9,999 (11 per 100), with an overall ratio for all population categories of 6 bicycles per 100 sworn personnel. Vehicle-related policies Forty-nine percent of local police departments, employing 39% of local police officers, allowed officers to take marked vehicles home. The percentage of departments allowing officers to take vehicles home exceeded 60% in jurisdictions with 250,000 to 999,999 residents, and in those with a population of less than 2,500. In a large majority of the departments that allowed marked vehicles to be taken home, officers were allowed only to drive the vehicle to and from work. Just 10% of departments allowed officers to operate a marked vehicle for personal errands, with those serving 100,000 to 999,999 residents the most likely to have such a policy. Fifty-seven percent of departments, employing 74% of all officers, had a restrictive pursuit driving policy. This type of policy restricts vehicle pursuits according to specific criteria such as type of offense or maximum speed. Twenty-seven percent of departments, employing 17% of all officers, had a judgmental pursuit policy, one that leaves pursuit decisions to the officer's discretion. Seven percent of departments, employing 5% of all officers, discouraged all vehicle pursuits. Off-land vehicles Five percent of local police departments, employing 38% of all officers, operated at least one boat during 2000. This included about two-thirds of those serving 500,000 or more residents. Nationwide, local police operated nearly 1,100 boats. One percent of departments, employing 29% of all officers, used helicopters. A majority of departments serving 250,000 or more residents did so. There were an estimated 241 local police helicopters in use nationwide during 2000. Less than 1% of local police departments operated any fixed-wing aircraft, with a total of about 50 in use nationwide. Nearly half of departments serving 1 million or more residents operated at least 1 airplane. Departments using airplanes employed 9% of all officers. Animals Twenty-six percent of local police departments, employing 72% of all officers, used dogs for law enforcement activities. This included more than 90% of those serving 100,000 or more residents. Overall, about 6,900 dogs were maintained by local police departments in 2000. About 2% of departments, employing 36% 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 approximately 1,400 horses. Video cameras Forty-five percent of all local police departments used video cameras on a regular basis during the year ending June 30, 2000. Agencies regularly using video cameras employed 61% of all local police officers. The most common use of video cameras was in patrol cars (37%). Departments using video cameras in cars employed 40% of all officers. Thirteen percent of departments, employing 30% of all officers, used video cameras for fixed-site surveillance. Nine percent of departments, employing 25% of all officers, used video cameras for mobile surveillance. Seven percent of departments, employing 16% of all officers, used video cameras for traffic enforcement. Special technologies Eleven percent of local police departments, employing 38% of all officers, use infrared (thermal) imagers on a regular basis. Six percent of departments, employing 26% of all officers, used image intensifiers. Laser range finders were used regularly by 6% of all departments, employing 15% of all officers. Electrical/engine disruption technology was used regularly by less than 0.5% of all local police departments, and such departments employed just 3% of all officers. Five percent of departments, employing 36% of all officers, used stolen vehicle tracking technology on a regular basis. Tire deflation spikes were used regularly by 26% of all departments, employing 36% of all officers. Twenty-nine percent of departments, employing 65% of all officers, regularly used digital imaging technology for mugshots. Sixteen percent of departments, employing 47% of all officers, used digital imaging technology for suspect composites. Eleven percent of departments, employing 49% of all officers, regularly used digital imaging technology for fingerprints. Computers and information systems Computer functions Local police departments utilized computers for a wide variety of functions in 2000. For example, 60% of all departments, employing 85% of all officers, used computers for records management. During 2000, 56% of all departments used computers for Internet access, including more than 80% of those serving a population of 25,000 or more. Departments using computers for Internet access employed 83% of all officers in 2000. More than twice as many local police departments used computers for Internet access in 2000 (56%) as in 1997 (24%). Among departments serving fewer than 10,000 residents, nearly 3 times as many were using computers for this purpose in 2000 (48%) as in 1997 (17%). The increases in other population categories were as follows: 10,000 to 49,999 residents, from 45% to 74%; 50,000 to 249,999 residents, from 68% to 89%; 250,000 or more residents, from 79% to 97%. In 2000, 44% of departments used computers for crime investigations. Those using computers for crime investigations employed 76% of all officers. Forty percent of departments, employing 70% of all officers, used computers to maintain personnel records. About a third of local police departments used computers for dispatching calls for service (32%). A majority of departments serving a population of 10,000 or more had computer-aided dispatch, and 78% of all local police officers worked for such departments. Thirty percent of departments, employing 72% of all officers, used computers for crime analysis. Related to crime analysis efforts in local police departments is the use of crime mapping. In 2000, 15% of departments, including a large majority of those serving 100,000 or more residents used computers in conjunction with crime mapping. Departments using computers for crime mapping purposes employed 59% of all officers in 2000. Twenty-eight percent of local departments, employing 46% of all officers, used computers for interagency information sharing. Less than a fifth of local police departments used computers for automated booking (18%), fleet management (16%), or resource allocation (10%). Computerized files In 2000 a majority of local police departments were maintaining computerized files on incident reports (71%), arrests (71%), traffic citations (61%), calls for service (60%), traffic accidents (58%), and stolen property (57%). All of these types of information were maintained in a computerized format by a majority of the departments in each population category of 2,500 or more. Less than half of all departments maintained computerized files on warrants (43%), alarms (42%), traffic stops (36%), criminal histories (33%), summonses (25%), use of force incidents (21%), linked files for crime analysis (14%), and fingerprints (7%). However, a majority of the departments in each population category of 10,000 or more had computerized files on warrants, alarms, traffic stops, and criminal histories. Except for use of force incidents (49%), fingerprints (44%), traffic stops (41%), and summonses (30%), a majority of local police officers worked for a department that had computer files on each type of information included in the 2000 LEMAS survey Five percent of all local police departments had exclusive or shared ownership of an Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) that included a file of digitized prints. These departments employed 41% of all officers. A majority of the departments serving a population of 250,000 or more had exclusive or shared ownership of an AFIS. Just 2% of those departments serving fewer than 10,000 resident had exclusive or shared ownership of an AFIS. Fifteen percent of local police departments used an AFIS terminal with access to a remote system. These departments employed 22% of all officers. Use of computers in the field A majority of local police departments serving 10,000 or more residents used mobile computers or terminals in the field during 2000, including more than 80% of those serving 50,000 or more residents. Overall 40% of departments, employing 75% of all officers, were using in-field computers or terminals. Twenty-seven percent of departments, employing 63% of all officers, used vehicle-mounted computers in 2000. This included a majority of those serving 25,000 or more residents. Roughly two-thirds of departments serving a population of 500,000 or more were using vehicle-mounted digital/data terminals. Overall, about 1 in 8 departments, employing 40% of all officers, used them. Thirteen percent of departments, employing 18% of all officers, used vehicle-mounted laptops during 2000. Eight percent used vehicle-mounted digital/data computers. Twenty-three percent of departments employing 39% of all officers, used portable (not vehicle-mounted) computers in 2000. This included nearly half of all departments serving 25,000 or more residents. Portable laptops were the most common type of in-field computer, used by 21% of all departments. These departments employed a third of all officers. Less common were portable digital/data terminals (2%) and portable digital/data computers (1%). The 40% of local police departments using in-field computers or terminals in 2000 was 8 times the percentage in 1990 (5%). Likewise, the 75% of local police officers working for a department with in-field computers or terminals in 2000 was considerably more than that in 1990 (30%). From 1990 to 2000, increases in local police use of in-field computers and terminals occurred in jurisdictions of all sizes. During this period, in-field computer use among departments serving 250,000 or more residents increased from 56% to 89%; among departments serving 50,000 to 249,999 residents, from 31% to 81%; among departments serving 10,000 to 49,999 residents, from 9% to 62%; and among departments serving fewer than 10,000 residents, from 2% to 30%. Twenty-three percent of local police departments used in-field computers or terminals for writing field reports. These departments employed 27% of all officers. Nineteen percent of departments used them for at least some in-field communications. These departments employed 42% of all officers. In about a quarter of local police departments, at least some officers in the field could use computers to access vehicle or driving records during 2000. This included a majority of the departments serving a population of 25,000 or more residents. Departments using in-field computers for these purposes employed more than half of all officers. In 16% of local police departments, employing 29% of all officers, in-field computers or terminals could be used to access criminal history information. This included about half of the departments serving a population of 1 million or more, and about a third of those serving a population of 50,000 to 999,999. In 18% of departments, employing 37% of all officers, in-field computers or terminals could be used to access calls for service information. This included more than half of departments serving a population of 100,000 or more, and about two-fifths of those serving a population of 25,000 to 99,999. In 6% of all departments, employing 8% of all officers, in-field officers had access to linked files for crime analysis. This included about 1 in 6 departments serving 500,000 to 999,999 residents, and about 1 in 10 departments serving 25,000 to 249,999 residents. From 1997 to 2000, the percentage of local police officers employed by a department providing at least some officers with access to information via in-field computers increased for each type of information included in the LEMAS survey. For motor vehicle records, the increase was from 56% to 67%; driving records, 51% to 58%; calls for service, 23% to 37%, criminal history records, 25% to 29%; linked files for crime analysis, 3% to 8%. In 2000, 75% of local police departments used paper reports as the primary method to transmit criminal incident reports from the field to the agency's central information system. Other methods included computers and data devices (19%), as well as telephones and wireless systems (6%). From 1997 to 2000, use of paper reports to transmit criminal incident reports declined from 86% to 75%. During the same period, use of computer and data devices increased from 9% to 19%, and use of telephone and wireless methods increased from 4% to 6%. By jurisdiction size, the use of paper reports declined in all population categories: 250,000 or more residents, 88% to 77%; 50,000 to 249,999, 85% to 79%; 10,000 to 49,999, 80% to 68%; under 10,000, 88% to 77%. Special arrest policies Local police departments often have special policies to guide officers' decision-making in specific situations. Two examples of this covered in the 2000 LEMAS survey are the handling of domestic assaults and the enforcement of protection orders. Ninety-one percent of departments, employing 97% of all officers, reported they had a special policy regarding arrest for domestic assault. Seventy-two percent of departments, employing 80% of all officers, had a mandatory arrest policy for domestic assault. Seventeen percent of departments, employing 16% of officers, had a pro-arrest policy for domestic assault. Eighty-two percent of departments had a special policy regarding arrest for violations of protective orders. These agencies employed 93% of all local police officers. Sixty-three percent of departments, employing 75% of all officers, had a mandatory arrest policy and 18%, employing 15% of officers, had a pro-arrest policy. Methodology The Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) survey collects data from a nationally representative sample of publicly funded State and local law enforcement agencies in the United States. This report presents data from the 2000 survey describing local police departments in terms of their personnel, expenditures and pay, operations, community policing initiatives, equipment, computers and information systems, and written policies. The 2000 LEMAS survey questionnaire was mailed to 3,132 State and local law enforcement agencies. Sixty-seven agencies were determined to be out-of- scope for the survey because they had closed, outsourced their operations, or were operating on a part-time basis. The initial mailing of the questionnaire was conducted in July 2000. The pay period containing June 30, 2000, was used as the reference date for all questions, unless otherwise noted. Allowing for the exclusion of special jurisdiction agencies and Texas constables, 881 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 528 local police departments, 304 sheriffs' offices, and the 49 primary State law enforcement agencies. The self-representing (SR) agencies were supplemented by a nationally representative sample of agencies with fewer than 100 sworn personnel. These nonself-representing (NSR) agencies were chosen using a stratified random sample with cells based on the type of agency (local police or sheriff), size of population served, and number of sworn personnel. The 2,184 NSR agencies selected included 1,491 local police departments and 693 sheriffs’ offices. A total of 2,985 agencies responded to the LEMAS questionnaire for a response rate of 97.4%. This included 866 SR agencies and 2,119 NSR agencies. The final database includes responses from 1,975 local police departments, 961 sheriffs' offices, and the 49 primary State police departments. Among local police departments, 1,975 of 2,019 surveys were returned for a 97.8% response rate. The base weight for all SR agencies is 1. For NSR sheriffs’ offices, it is 4. For NSR local police departments, the base weights are determined by number of sworn personnel employed as reported in the 1996 BJS Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies. 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, hot deck imputation, median value imputation or ratio imputation was used. Hot deck imputation uses the value reported by a randomly selected agency from the same sample cell. 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. 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 reflect observed differences between values that are significant at 2 standard errors (the 95-percent confidence level) or higher. The survey data are also subject to response and processing errors. End of file 01/14/03 ih