In 2000, there were 796,518 full-time sworn law enforcement officers in the United States. This figure includes people at 12,666 local police stations, in 3,070 sheriff departments, at 1,376 special jurisdiction police agencies, in 49 primary state offices, and in 623 Texas constable offices.1 These agencies provides employment for 1,019,496 individuals, including non-sworn (civilian) personnel. The panel above analyzes only sworn employees who make up roughly three quarters of law enforcement personnel. The remaining employees are civilians.
Employment in law enforcement is on the increase. Between June of 1996 and 2000, the number of full time employees increased by about 97,500; this translates into 44,500 new sworn employees (a jump of 6.7%) and 53,000 for civilians (a jump of about 20%). This increase in employment means the number of state and local law enforcement employees has increased almost 10% since 1992, from 330 to 362 per 100,000 residents. The Northeast had the highest ratio of sworn officers to the population, 2.8 per 1,000.
The New York City Police Department is the largest, and the largest law enforcement agency of any kind in the country, with 53,029 full-time employees and 40,435 officers. The largest sheriff's office is in Los Angeles County, with 8,468 officers. The California Highway Patrol is the largest state agency, with 6,678 officers.
What does it take to be a police officer? According to the Department of Labor, candidates must be U.S. citizens and usually be at least 20 years of age. Candidates may expect to complete a number of physical tests, including vision, hearing, and strength. They will also have to complete written and oral exams. Candidates will also undergo psychological testing. Does the potential recruit possess the morals that all police officers should possess? Is he or she honest, in possession of good judgment, integrity and a sense of responsibility? Does he or she have basic "people skills" — respect, patience and ability to listen? Most candidates will undergo a lie detector test. In state and local departments, recruits get training in their agency's police academy, which lasts 12 to 14 weeks, although many are closer to 20 weeks. Employment for police and detectives is growing faster than the national average through the year 2010.
The term "men in blue" to describe police officers is still quite accurate; men constitute 89% of all sworn officers nationally. They represent 89.1% of the sworn officers in cities, 91.9% of those in rural counties, and 87.2% in suburban counties. Women were 11% of all sworn officers nationally; they were about 63% of all civilian employees.
Civilians constituted 29.4% of the total law enforcement workforce in 2000, up slightly from 28% in 1996. They were 22.7% of the law enforcement employees in cities, but 39.4% in suburban counties and 38.5% in rural counties, figures that have changed little since 1996.
The image of the police officer in society seems dominated by two stereotypes. One is a noble enforcer of the law. We turn to them in a crisis; we teach our children to seek them out when in trouble. Shows such as COPS and NYPD Blue have been on television for nearly a decade and have devoted followings. There's also an uglier image of law enforcement. A number of films in recent decades show cops beating up suspects, addicted to drugs, and "on the take" from organized crime. News reports of police misconduct make the news on a regular basis. Law enforcement arguably received its blackest eye in recent years during the O.J. Simpson trial with reports of cops being racists, planting evidence, and mishandling crime scenes.
The rest of this chapter will look at those in charge of upholding the law. Is the police force changing along with our society?
Sources: Chart data comes from Department of Justice Sourcebook and Bureau of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, 2000. Job information comes from Occupational Outlook Handbook available online from http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos160.htm.
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