NCJ Number
122839
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 59 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1990) Pages: 28-32
Date Published
1990
Length
5 pages
Annotation
During the next decade, law enforcement officials must deal with disruptive social, demographic, and technological changes against a backdrop of Federal, State, and local budget reductions.
Abstract
While budget reductions are causing cutbacks in services, public pressure for more effective services is growing. Jobs increasingly require skilled personnel, yet the pool of qualified workers is shrinking. The supply of law enforcement's traditional recruits, young white males, is especially inadequate. The U.S. population is aging and, over the next decade, more than 90 percent of new entrants into the labor force will be women, minorities, and immigrants. The fastest growing jobs are those requiring more language, math, and reasoning skills; 9 out of 10 new jobs will be in the service sector in fields generally requiring high educational and skill levels. Law enforcement will be significantly affected by these demographic changes. If police agencies fail to look beyond high school graduates as a principal source of recruits, they will likely face worker shortages. Law enforcement agencies will also face stiff competition from the private sector and the military for entry-level employees. Family and lifestyle concerns are increasingly affecting the law enforcement workplace; for example, America has become a society in which women with young children are an important part of the working population. A rapidly changing economy will create instability for many workers and set the stage for increased crime. Law enforcement challenges and anticipated budget reductions will force more reliance on information technologies, and it may be necessary to shift public funds from defense spending to domestic law enforcement. 15 references.