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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2001 202/307-0784
WASHINGTON, D.C.From 1997 through 1999 the percentage of local police officers throughout the nation who were designated community policing officers increased from 4 percent to 21 percent, according to a new report from the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). State and local law enforcement agencies had almost 113,000 full-time sworn personnel who served as community policing officers or otherwise regularly engaged in community policing activities during 1999, it said. This included an estimated 91,000 local police officers.
Community-oriented policing seeks to address the causes of crime and to reduce fear of crime and social disorder through problem-solving strategies and police-community partnerships. Typically it involves a greater use of foot and bicycle patrols and frequent meetings with community groups.
Among other things, the report determined that:
/The data are from a report BJS prepared with the cooperation of the Department's Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) agency. BJS queried 3,246 state and local law enforcement agencies about their community policing personnel, training, policies and programs. In 1999 there were an estimated 13,524 local police departments in the U.S. They employed about 436,000 full-time sworn officers.
The special report, "Community Policing in Local Police Departments, 1997 and 1999" (NCJ-184794), was written by BJS statisticians Matthew J. Hickman and Brian A. Reaves. Single copies may be obtained from the BJS fax-on-demand system by dialing 301/519-5550, listening to the complete menu and selecting document number 227. Or call the BJS clearinghouse number: 1-800-851-3420. Fax orders for mail delivery to 410/792-4358. The BJS Internet site is:
Additional criminal justice materials can be obtained from the Office of Justice Programs homepage at: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov
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After hours contact: Stu Smith at 301/983-9354
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