Police and Law Enforcement: Selected Issues

Publication Date: November 2000

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Justice

Type:

Abstract:

Since the enactment of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, discussion among federal, state, and local legislators regarding law enforcement issues has increased substantially. Debate on the issues is stimulated by the many changes that have occurred in federal funding programs for law enforcement and in the number of personnel nationwide, as well as in community policing, police surveillance and technology, officer benefits, and police conduct, among other law enforcement topics.

Among the areas in law enforcement undergoing the greatest change are those concerning federal government participation and personnel growth. The federal government assists federal, state, and local law enforcement entities with day-to-day police operations through various grant programs. Funding for eligible law enforcement agencies is available through the Department of Justice (DOJ). In recent years, federal involvement also has included funding for research on how law enforcement practices can be improved. Numerous published studies provide views of crime and law enforcement and project future trends to determine where federal funding might be the most needed.

Along with increasing federal involvement in law enforcement, the number of employees in law enforcement has nearly tripled since 1966. Between 1966 and 1996 (the most recent year available), the number of persons employed as law enforcement officers at the federal, state, and local levels increased from 371,000 to 664,000. The total number of full-time sworn and civilian law enforcement personnel amounted to 996,000 in 1996.

Reports show that many of the sworn officers perform traditional law enforcement assignments, such as community policing. In addition, some agencies and departments have developed high-technological law enforcement operations to detect criminal activity. Advances in technology in the telecommunications industry, however, have generated controversy in law enforcement work. In line with state and local police departments, DOJ advocates technological changes that would protect the ability of law enforcement agencies and police departments to use court-approved surveillance equipment despite telecommunications changes.

As officers risk their lives to provide safety to communities in various ways, benefits for employees are of concern to law enforcement personnel and their families. Some benefits available through DOJ provide assistance to officers and their families when officers become disabled because of on-the-job injuries or are killed in the line of duty. Recently, educational benefits for families of deceased federal law enforcement officers have been established to keep pace with similar state programs.

Interest in a police officers' bill of rights, police misconduct and a host of other law enforcement topics led to many legislative proposals in the 106th Congress. Only a small number of them became public law. Renewed discussion and debate on the unenacted proposals are expected to occur in the 107th Congress.