Federal Law Enforcement Officers, 2016

U.S. Department of Justice

Ofﬁce of Justice Programs

Bureau of Justice Statistics

October 2019, NCJ 251922

Federal Law Enforcement Ofcers, 2016 – Statistical Tables

Connor Brooks, BJS Statistician

s of the end of fscal-year 2016, federal agencies in the United States and

FIGURE 1

Distribution of full-time federal law enforcement ofcers, by department or branch, 2016

A

U.S. territories employed about 132,000 full-time law enforcement ofcers. Federal law enforcement ofcers were defned as any federal ofcers who were authorized to make arrests and carry frearms. About three-quarters of federal law enforcement ofcers (about 100,000) provided police protection as their primary function. Four in fve federal law enforcement ofcers, regardless of their primary function, worked for either the Department of Homeland Security (47% of all ofcers) or the Department

of Justice (33%) (fgure 1, table 1).

Department of
Homeland Security

Department of Justice
Other executivebranch agencies

Independent agencies

Judicial branch Legislative branch

Findings in this report are from the 2016 Census of Federal Law Enforcement Ofcers (CFLEO). Te Bureau of Justice Statistics conducted the census, collecting data on 83 agencies. Of these agencies, 41 were Ofces of Inspectors General, which provide oversight of federal agencies and activities. Te tables in this report provide statistics on the number, functions, and demographics of federal law enforcement ofcers.

0

10

20

30

40

50

Percent

Note: See table 1 for counts and percentages. Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Census of Federal Law Enforcement Ofcers, 2016.

Highlights

In 2016, there were about 100,000 full-time federal law enforcement ofcers in the United States and U.S. territories who primarily provided police protection, compared to 701,000 full-time sworn ofcers in general-purpose state and local law-enforcement agencies nationwide.
Between 2008 and 2016, the Amtrak Police had the largest percentage increase in full-time federal law enforcement ofcers (40%), followed by the National Park Service Rangers (29%) and the Bureau of Indian Afairs (27%).

The Bureau of Indian Afairs experienced the highest rate of assaults on ofcers in 2016 (143 assaults per 100 ofcers), which was more than triple the rate in 2008 (38 per 100) and more than 20 times the rate of any other agency.
About two-thirds of all full-time federal law enforcement ofcers worked for either Customs and Border Protection (33%), the Federal Bureau of Prisons (14%), the FBI (10%), or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (9%).

List of tables

TabLE 1. Distribution of full-time federal law enforcement ofcers, by department or branch, 2016 TabLE 2. Full-time federal law enforcement ofcers in federal agencies, 2008 and 2016 TabLE 3. Full-time federal law enforcement ofcers in Ofces of Inspectors General, 2008 and 2016 TabLE 4. Percent of full-time federal law enforcement ofcers, by primary function, 2016 TabLE 5. Percent of full-time federal law enforcement ofcers, by sex and race or ethnicity, 2008 and 2016 TabLE 6. Sex and race or ethnicity of full-time federal law enforcement ofcers in agencies employing 50 or more ofcers, other than Ofces of Inspectors General, 2016

TabLE 7. Sex and race or ethnicity of full-time federal law enforcement ofcers in Ofces of Inspectors General employing 50 or more ofcers, 2016

TabLE 8. Assaults on federal law enforcement ofcers, 2008 and 2016

List of fgures

FIGURE 1. Distribution of full-time federal law enforcement ofcers, by department or branch, 2016 FIGURE 2. Percent of full-time federal law enforcement ofcers, by primary function, 2016 FIGURE 3. Percent of full-time federal law enforcement ofcers, by sex and race or ethnicity, 2008 and 2016

Federal Law Enforcement Ofcers, 2016 - Statistical Tables | October 2019

2

TabLE 1

Distribution of full-time federal law enforcement ofcers, by department or branch, 2016

Department/branch

Total Department of Homeland Security Department of Justice Other executive branch agencies Independent agencies Judicial branch

Number

132,110
62,125 43,666 15,414
4,943

Percent

100% 47.0 33.1 11.7
3.7

4,141

3.1

1.4

Legislative branch

1,821

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Census of Federal Law Enforcement Ofcers, 2016.

TabLE 2

Full-time federal law enforcement ofcers in federal agencies, 2008 and 2016

Number of full-time

Percent change,

Percent of all federal

ab

Department/agency Total Ofces of Inspectors General Total executive/judicial/legislative/independent federal law enforcement agencies, other than Ofces of Inspectors General

ofcers, 2008

ofcers, 2016

2008-2016 ofcers, 2016

121,909

132,110

3,869
8.4%
10.1%
100%
2.9%
3,514

118,395

128,241

8.3%

97.1%

Executive departments: Department of Agriculture

Forest Service

Department of Commerce

Bureau of Industry and Security
648 103
514 108
-20.7%
4.9%
0.4% 0.1%
National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration, Ofce of Law Enforcement

154

~~
126
38 11
-18.2
~
0.1
<0.1 <0.1
Ofce of Security Secretary’s Protective Detail

Department of Defense

~
Pentagon Force Protection Agency

Department of Energy

National Nuclear Security Administration

Department of Health and Human Services

725 363
777 302

7.2%

0.6%

0.2%

-16.8%

Food and Drug Administration, Ofce of

Criminal Investigation

187

94
231
77
23.5%
-18.1
0.2%

0.1

National Institutes of Health, Division of Police

Department of Homeland Security

Customs and Border Protection

37,482

11,779
43,724 12,400
16.7%
5.3
33.1%
9.4

c

Immigration and Customs Enforcement Federal Emergency Management Agency, Mount Weather Police Federal Protective Service
84
900
~
78
1,007
26
-7.1 11.9
~
0.1 0.8
<0.1
3.6

c

Ofce of the Chief Security Ofcer Secret Service

Department of the Interior

5,226

4,697

-10.1
Bureau of Indian Afairs, Ofce of Justice

Services

277

255
21
603
1,416
547
352 253
24
619
1,822
560
27.1% -0.8 14.3
2.7
28.7
2.4
0.3% 0.2
<0.1
0.5 1.4 0.4
Bureau of Land Management Bureau of Reclamation Fish and Wildlife Service National Park Service Rangers Park Police

Continued on next page

3

TabLE 2 (continued)

Full-time federal law enforcement ofcers in federal agencies, 2008 and 2016

Number of full-time

Percent change,

Percent of all federal

Department/agency Department of Justice

ofcers, 2008

ofcers, 2016

2008-2016 ofcers, 2016

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and

Explosives

2,562

4,388
12,925 16,993
3,359
2,675 4,181
13,799 19,093
3,788
4.4%
-4.7
6.8
12.4 12.8
2.0% 3.2
10.4 14.5
2.9
Drug Enforcement Administration Federal Bureau of Investigation Federal Bureau of Prisons U.S. Marshals Service

Department of Labor

Division of Protective Operations

Department of State

Bureau of Diplomatic Security

Department of the Treasury

Bureau of Engraving and Printing Police
~
1,049
207
15
1,215
182

~

<0.1%

0.9% 0.1%
15.8%
-12.1%
Internal Revenue Service, Criminal

Investigation Division

2,655

316
2,198
292
-17.2
-7.6
1.7

0.2

U.S. Mint Police

Department of Veterans Afairs

Police Department

3,175

3,839

20.9%

2.9%

Other federal law enforcement agencies: Administrative Ofce of the U.S. Courts

U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services

Amtrak

4,767
305 202
41
3,985
427 214
48
-16.4%
40.0%
5.9%
3.0%

0.3%

Amtrak Police Department

Environmental Protection Agency

Criminal Investigation Division

Government Publishing Ofce

Uniform Police Branch

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Ofce of Protective Services

Smithsonian Institution

Ofce of Protective Services

Supreme Court of the United States

Supreme Court of the United States Police

Tennessee Valley Authority

Tennessee Valley Authority Police

U.S. Capitol Police

0.2%
17.1%
-17.7%
~
<0.1% <0.1%
0.5%

62

51

~

620

156

139

12.2%

0.1%

145
1,637
53
1,773
-63.4%
8.3%
<0.1%
1.3%

U.S. Postal Service

U.S. Postal Inspection Service

2,324

1,891

-18.6%

1.4%

Note: Data for the Bureau of Industry and Security; the Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division; the Fish and Wildlife Service; and the Internal Revenue Service were obtained from fedscope.opm.gov. Data for the Federal Protective Service came from the Department of Homeland Security website. ~Not applicable. Agency was not in the 2008 Census of Federal Law Enforcement Ofcers (CFLEO).

a

In 2008, agencies reported 1,561 full-time federal law enforcement ofcers in U.S. Territories and Commonwealths. Those ofcers are included in these numbers. The total for 2008 includes 141 ofcers from agencies that did not respond to the 2016 CFLEO.

b

In 2016, agencies reported 1,871 full-time federal law enforcement ofcers in U.S. Territories and Commonwealths. Those ofcers are included in these numbers.

c

The Federal Protective Service was included in the ofcer count for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the 2008 report. ICE reported having about 900 ofcers in the Federal Protective Service at that time, and they are listed separately in this report for both 2008 and 2016. Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Census of Federal Law Enforcement Ofcers, 2008 and 2016.

4

TabLE 3

Full-time federal law enforcement ofcers in Ofces of Inspectors General, 2008 and 2016

Change,
Ofces of Inspectors General Total Executive departments:
2008

3,514

2016 2008-2016

3,869

a

355
Department of Agriculture Department of Commerce
166
16
149
12
-17
-4
Department of Defense Department of Education
345
88
328
80
-17
-8

Department of Energy

48

64

16

65 30
-27
4
Department of Health and Human Services Department of Homeland Security Department of Housing and Urban Development Department of the Interior
393 163 229
66
458 193 202
70
Department of Justice Department of Labor Department of State
122 164
32
130 146
41
8
-18
9
Department of Transportation Department of the Treasury Department of Veterans Afairs

Other federal Ofces of Inspectors General:

Agency for International Development
94 21
132
102
36
171
8
15 39

13
~
36 31
23
~

b

Amtrak Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and

b

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

~

9
40
~
25
6
47
6
~-3
7
Corporation for National and Community Service Environmental Protection Agency

b

Export-Import Bank of the United States

~

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Federal Housing Finance Agency General Services Administration Library of Congress National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Archives and Records Administration National Science Foundation
35
~
67
2
52
66
51 47 74
0
62
6
16
~7
-2 10
0

b

7

1

Ofce of Personnel Management Peace Corps Pension Beneft Guaranty Corporation
28
~~
34
55
6~~

bb

Railroad Retirement Board Securities and Exchange Commission
16
~
34
~
16 13 38
3
0~4~

b

Small Business Administration

b

Smithsonian Institution

Social Security Administration

274

~
272
22
-2 ~

b

Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset

b

Relief Program

~

20
62 19
~

-1

Tennessee Valley Authority

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration U.S. Postal Service
304 511
278 522
-26
11

~Not applicable. Agency was not in the 2008 Census of Federal Law Enforcement Ofcers.

a

The 2008 total includes 18 ofcers from agencies that did not respond to the 2016 Census of Federal Law Enforcement Ofcers (CFLEO).

b

Agency was not in the 2008 CFLEO. Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Census of Federal Law Enforcement Ofcers, 2008 and 2016.

5

FIGURE 2

FIGURE 3

Percent of full-time federal law enforcement ofcers, by primary function, 2016
Percent of full-time federal law enforcement ofcers, by sex and race or ethnicity, 2008 and 2016

Sex

Male

Criminal investigation
Corrections

Female

Police response/patrol

Race/ethnicity

b

White

Noncriminal investigation/ enforcement

b

Black

Court operations

Hispanic

Security/protection

2008

b,c a

0

10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Other

2016

Percent

0

20

40

60

80

100

Note: See table 4 for counts and percentages.

Percent

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Census of Federal Law

Enforcement Ofcers, 2016.

Note: See table 5 for estimates.

a

In 2016, federal law enforcement agencies indicated that 257 (0.2%) ofcers were of unknown race.

b

Excludes persons of Hispanic origin (e.g., “white” refers to

TabLE 4

non-Hispanic whites and “black” refers to non-Hispanic blacks).

Percent of full-time federal law enforcement ofcers,

c

Includes Asians, Native Hawaiians, Other Pacifc Islanders, American

by primary function, 2016

Indians, Alaska Natives, and persons of two or more races. Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Census of Federal Law Enforcement

Number of Percent of

Ofcers, 2008 and 2016.

Primary function Total Police protection ofcers

132,110 100,250
82,336 11,611
6,303

total

100% 75.9% 62.3
8.8

TabLE 5

Criminal investigation Police response/patrol Non-criminal investigation/enforcement

Corrections

Percent of full-time federal law enforcement ofcers, by sex and race or ethnicity, 2008 and 2016

4.8

2008

100% 84.5 15.5 100% 65.7 10.4 19.8
2.9

2016

100% 86.3 13.7 100% 62.1 10.5 20.9
3.3
19,896
5,173
15.1%
3.9% 2.0% 3.1%

Sex

Male Female

Court operations Security/protection Function not reported

2,645 4,146

Race/ethnicity

Note: Details may not sum to totals due to rounding.

aa

White Black

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Census of Federal Law Enforcement Ofcers, 2016.

Hispanic

a,b

Asian

a,b

Native Hawaiian/Other Pacifc Islander American Indian/Alaska Native Two or more races
0.1 1.0 0.1
0.3 1.0 1.6

a,b b

Unknown race/ethnicity

0.0

0.2

Note: Details may not sum to totals due to rounding. Excludes persons of unknown race/ethnicity.

a

Excludes persons of Hispanic origin (e.g., “white” refers to non-Hispanic whites and “black” refers to non-Hispanic blacks).

b

Included in “other” in fgure 3. Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Census of Federal Law Enforcement Ofcers, 2008 and 2016.

6

TabLE 6

Sex and race or ethnicity of full-time federal law enforcement ofcers in agencies employing 50 or more ofcers, other than Ofces of Inspectors General, 2016

Race/ethnicity
Native Hawaiian/ American
Sex

Male

88.1% 86.2 80.1 87.1 89.2 89.8 92.3 90.2 86.4 77.3 81.4 88.0 83.1 89.7 70.5 78.7 89.3 89.7 88.9
100.0
88.0 92.1 90.1 76.3

Other Pacifc

Indian/Alaska Two or

Agency

Number

43,724 19,093 13,799 12,400
4,729 4,181 3,839 3,788 2,675 1,891 1,773 1,215 1,119
777

Total

Female

11.9% 13.8 19.9 12.9 10.8 10.2
7.7

Total