Manpower Needs in State and Local Public Safety Activities - The Impact of Federal Programs

• NCJ Number: 81377
• Author(s): M Cobern
• Date Published: 1971
• Length: 82 pages
• Contract Number(s): 81-09-70-16
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Labor
• Corporate Author: National Planning Assoc
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Report number 2 in a series of reports concerning Manpower Implications of New Legislation and New Federal Programs

Annotation

The manpower situation in local law enforcement is examined for the 1960's, and projected manpower requirements are presented for the 1970's, followed by consideration of manpower needs in State police agencies and State and local correctional enterprises, together with Federal manpower policies.

Abstract

Local police departments are estimated to face a recruitment need of about 45,000 persons annually in the first half of the 1970's. Recruitment needs in State police departments are expected to average 6,000 a year and 25,000 in State and local correctional institutions and probation-parole agencies. A greater emphasis on efficiency and rehabilitation in crime reduction programs could generate more job openings for civilians in the 1970-75 period. Given this emphasis, projections indicate an annual recruitment need for 40,000 civilians in State and local police departments, correctional institutions, and probation-parole agencies, along with 36,000 police and guards. Manpower training programs related to crime reduction have focused on preparing young people for police careers. While these programs should be expanded, new programs should also be introduced to train the growing number of civilian employees and semipolice personnel. Planning to meet manpower needs in law enforcement requires considerably more comprehensive, accurate, and current information than is now available. This should have priority in increases in Federal support for research and planning to increase the effectiveness of State and local crime reduction activities. The evaluation of the resource requirements of the entire criminal justice system is an urgent need. Current and future Federal support for such an evaluation and support of system reform may hasten change and generate demand for a wide range of job opportunities, especially in those functions emphasizing rehabilitation rather than punishment and incarceration. Extensive tabular data related to police and corrections manpower needs are appended, and 29 footnotes are listed. (Author summary modified)