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Sheriffs' Departments 1990

NCJ Number
133283
Author(s)
B A Reaves
Date Published
1992
Length
11 pages
Annotation
A 1990 survey of a nationally representative sample of law enforcement agencies produced data regarding the expenditures, functions, personnel, salaries, training and educational requirements, equipment, computerization, programs, and policies of sheriffs' departments.
Abstract

Findings revealed that during fiscal year 1990, sheriffs' departments had operating expenditures of $9.1 billion and employed 204,000 persons full-time. About 69 percent of these employees were sworn officers, and 31 percent were civilian employees. Almost all sheriff's departments reported performing at least some work related to the courts (98 percent) and to law enforcement (97 percent). About 87 percent of the departments performed some jail-related work. About 84 percent of the departments estimated that they spent a third or more of their personnel hours on law enforcement activities. Most sheriffs' departments were small: nearly two-thirds of them employed fewer than 25 sworn officers, and one-third employed fewer than 10. Data tables