DOI: 10.3886/icpsr38771.v1
title: Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies (CSLLEA), 2018
title: Version 1

description: The BJS Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies (CSLLEA) is conducted every 4 years to provide a complete enumeration of agencies and their employees. Employment data are reported by agencies for sworn and nonsworn (civilian) personnel and, within these categories, by full-time or part-time status. The pay period that included June 30, 2018, was the reference date for personnel data. Agencies also complete a checklist of functions they regularly perform, or have primary responsibility for, within the following areas: patrol and response, criminal investigation, traffic and vehicle-related functions, detention-related functions, court-related functions, forensic services, special public safety functions (e.g., animal control), task force participation, and specialized functions (e.g., search and rescue). The CSLLEA provides national data on the number of state and local law enforcement agencies and employees for local police departments, sheriffs' offices, state law enforcement agencies, and special jurisdiction agencies. It also serves as the sampling frame for BJS surveys of law enforcement agencies.
description: The data include the weight variables <strong>NRWT</strong>, the final non-response adjusted weight, and <strong>ELIGWT</strong>, the eligibility adjusted weight.
description: The 2018 Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies (CSLLEA) data collection form was mailed to nearly 20,000 agencies potentially operating nationwide. This master list was created by compiling information from:
BJS's Law Enforcement Agency Roster (LEAR). The LEAR originated from a variety of sources, including the 2008 and 2014 CSLLEA, the 2013 and 2016 Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) surveys, and the 2016 Body Worn Camera LEMAS Supplement.
Lists provided by Peace Officer Standards and Training offices and other state agencies.
Responses were received through website, mail, and phone options. Responding agencies were screened for eligibility to be included in the final CSLLEA database. Agencies were excluded if any of the following conditions existed on the CSLLEA reference date of June 30, 2018.
The agency employed only part-time officers and their total combined hours averaged less than 35 hours per week.
The agency was closed, represented a duplicate listing, or was otherwise an invalid entry.
The agency contracted or outsourced to another agency for performance of all services.
The agency did not employ personnel with general arrest powers.
The agency was private (i.e., did not operate with funds from a state, local, special district, or tribal government).
All sworn officers volunteered their time on an unpaid basis.
Agency was operated by the federal government.
description: Datasets: 
DS1: Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies (CSLLEA), 2018
description: All state and local law enforcement agencies that were publicly funded and employed the equivalent of one full-time sworn officer (at least two part-time officers) with general arrest powers. Smallest Geographic Unit: City
description: self-enumerated questionnaireFor more information on the Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies (CSLLEA), please visit the study website.Data collection for this series significantly changed between the 2008 census and the 2018 census. Please refer to the study documentation for a crosswalk of common variables between the two years.