NCJ Number
43760
Date Published
1978
Length
57 pages
Annotation
THIS SURVEY OF PRESENT AND FUTURE EMPLOYMENT TRENDS IN STATE AND LOCAL POLICE PROTECTION AGENCIES FINDS THAT POLICE EMPLOYMENT WILL INCREASE, BUT MORE SLOWLY THAN IN THE EARLY 1970'S, AND THAT TRAINING GAPS STILL EXIST.
Abstract
THIS SECOND VOLUME IN A EIGHT-VOLUME SURVEY OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE MANPOWER NEEDS REPORTS THAT EMPLOYMENT IN STATE AND LOCAL POLICE PROTECTION AGENCIES GREW FROM ABOUT 340,000 IN 1960 TO NEARLY 600,000 IN 1974, AN INCREASE OF 49 PERCENT IN PER CAPITA POLICE EMPLOYMENT. HOWEVER, CRIME RATES GREW BY 157 PERCENT. AS A RESULT, DEPARTMENTS WITH 1,000 OR MORE EMPLOYEES AND THE SMALLEST AGENCIES ALIKE REPORT PERSONNEL SHORTAGES. GROWTH IN POLICE EMPLOYMENT IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE ONLY 33 PERCENT BETWEEN 1975 AND 1985, AS A RESULT OF A SLOWDOWN IN THE GROWTH OF CRIME RATES, A PROJECTED REDUCTION IN STATE AND LOCAL BUDGET GROWTH, AND INCREASED ALLOCATION OF AVAILABLE CRIMINAL JUSTICE FUNDS TO CORRECTIONS AND COURT AGENCIES. CIVILIAN EMPLOYMENT WILL INCREASE MORE RAPIDLY THAN EMPLOYMENT OF SWORN OFFICERS, AND STATE AND COUNTY AGENCIES WILL INCREASE MORE RAPIDLY THAN LOCAL DEPARTMENTS. RECRUITMENT OF WOMEN AND MINORITY PERSONS AND THEIR EMPLOYMENT IN NONROUTINE JOBS CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM. AT PRESENT, 13 PERCENT OF RECRUITS BELONG TO MINORITY GROUPS, A FIGURE WHICH SHOULD BE 18 PERCENT TO COMPARE WITH THEIR REPRESENTATION IN THE GENERAL POPULATION. WOMEN COMPRISE ABOUT 3 PERCENT OF ALL POLICE OFFICERS AND ARE CONCENTRATED IN CLERICAL AND JUVENILE WORK. THIS REPORT RECOMMENDS MORE SPECIFIC TRAINING FOR RECRUITS, GREATER TRAINING FOR LINE OFFICERS WHO BECOME SUPERVISORS, AREAS OF NEEDED INSERVICE TRAINING, AND BETTER RECRUITMENT AND PERSONNEL POLICIES. TABLES PRESENT EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING DATA COLLECTED BY THIS SURVEY. A SUMMARY OF EFFECTS OF POLICE EXPENDITURES ON CRIME AND CLEARANCE RATES IS INCLUDED IN APPENDED DATA. FOR RELATED VOLUMES IN THIS SERIES, SEE NCJ-43739, V. 1 'SUMMARY REPORT'; NCJ-43740, V. 3 'CORRECTIONS'; NCJ-43741, V. 4 'COURTS'; NCJ-43742, V. 5, TWO PARTS 'CRIMINAL JUSTICE EDUCATION'; AND NCJ-43743, V. 6 'CRIMINAL JUSTICE MANPOWER PLANNING.'