NCJ Number
103727
Date Published
1985
Length
8 pages
Annotation
According to the 1981 Australian census, the 'typical' police officer was an Australian citizen, male, married, between 25 and 34 years old, with a modest education and performing duty in an urban area.
Abstract
More than 9 out of 10 police officers were males, but since 1971, the number of policewomen has increased at a higher rate than the number of policemen. In 1981, there was a national average of one police officer to 483 people. Seventy percent of police officers were married, but 66 percent of the policewomen were unmarried. Divorced police constituted 2.9 percent, compared to 3.8 percent of the general population. Sixty-two percent of the officers were under 35 years old. Approximately 87 percent of the officers were born in Australia, as were their parents; only 0.4 percent were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin. Approximately 57 percent of the officers left school at 15 to 16 years old, and 11.8 percent left school at 14 years old or under. The 27 percent who reported postschool education marked a 10-percent increase over 1971. Ninety-two percent of officers worked 35 or more hours per week. Income varied significantly among jurisdictions. 7 data tables.