Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Wait, What? Virginia Law Enforcement Employment Increased 13% in 2020?

—

by

James A. Bacon
in

Full-Time Law Enforcement Employees, Virginia, Oct. 31, 2020. Source: Crime in Virginia 2020

In conservative media, we often hear how law-enforcement morale plummeted last year in the face of withering criticism from politicians, media and even the public. We read of rising retirements and resignations and of shrinking recruitment, especially in big cities where anti-police rhetoric is strongest. So, what’s the story in Virginia?

If the data from the Crime in Virginia 2020 report is to be believed, local governments in the Old Dominion dramatically boosted the number of law enforcement personnel last year. Full-time law-enforcement employment as of Oct. 31 rose to more than 27,400 — up from 24,400 the previous year.

Employment by the Virginia State Police and college police forces was fairly stable, but the number of county law enforcement officers surged 24%, city officers by 26%, and “other agency” officers by 40%.

Employment bulked up among civilian employees and sworn officers in roughly equal proportions — 22% for officers and 24% for employees.

The ratio of full-time law enforcement officers per Virginia citizen increased from one in 440 in 2019 to one in 364 last year.

These numbers are so counter-intuitive that I have to wonder if the Virginia State Police, which publishes the report, altered its definitions or changed its methodology. On the other hand, the conservative meme of poor police morale and shrinking police forces simply does not apply to Virginia.

— JAB

Share this article

ADVERTISEMENT

(comments below)

ADVERTISEMENT

(comments below)

Comments

24 responses to “Wait, What? Virginia Law Enforcement Employment Increased 13% in 2020?”

  1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    The State Police do report a slight change in its definitions. The 2020 report includes more agencies than prior reports. That would account for the 40 percent increase in “other agencies”. The 22 percent increase in county and city law-enforcement officers does indicate that ” conservative meme of poor police morale and shrinking police forces simply does not apply to Virginia.”

    I commend Jim Bacon on reporting data that undermines his predictions.

  2. Tony Beres Avatar
    Tony Beres

    One question? Are these permanent positions or was this due to the riots of 2020 and hiring extra officers to protect businesses and infrastructure?

    1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
      Dick Hall-Sizemore

      According to the report, these are “full-time” officers and employees. That implies that they were not “extra” officers. Also, this data was as of Oct. 31, 2020, after the riots and demostrations were over.

  3. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    re: Conservative media “reporting” – an interesting concept that we KNOW is problematical – even right here in BR sometimes and you can COUNT ON IT if Bader is “reporting”.

    None of this stuff is EVER black and white – as Dick often demonstrates when he provides dry facts FIRST rather than COMMENTARY first !

    😉

  4. tmtfairfax Avatar
    tmtfairfax

    According to Fairfax County and police federation officials, the County is short somewhere between 110 & 180 officers, depending whose figures are used. But both sources believe this will increase in the near term due to more retirements and overall bad morale among officers. Both also report that it’s getting harder to get more qualified candidates for training.

    1. James A. Bacon Avatar
      James A. Bacon

      I’ve heard similar anecdotal evidence from the City of Richmond — and (I seem to recall) in Hampton Roads, too. That’s why I wonder if the VSP changed the way it reported or classified its data.

      1. WayneS Avatar
        WayneS

        Virginia Beach, for example

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egWTBeF0Y2s

  5. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    Here’s the question. Do military veterans make better police officers, or are they at issue with negative interactions with citizens?

    1. WayneS Avatar
      WayneS

      It depends on the military. Some make good police officers and some do not – just like the general population.

      1. Nancy Naive Avatar
        Nancy Naive

        But in any case, if a training officer ever says, “And here’s where your military training comes in handy,” he’s not doing anyone a good turn.

        https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/police-academies-paramilitary/612859/

        If military training was sufficient for police, we wouldn’t have spent 11 years in Iraq.

        1. WayneS Avatar
          WayneS

          “But in any case, if a training officer ever says, “And here’s where your military training comes in handy,” he’s not doing anyone a good turn.”

          Agreed.

          1. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Cops are cops. Soldiers are soldiers. N’er the twain shall meet.

          2. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            Do ex-soldier COPS use their military training ? Do police departments PREFER military veterans over “civilians”?

            Does military training supersede/supplant civilian police training or is civilian police training modelled after military training?

            Do we have police forces that are primarily veterans or police forces that have few or no veterans?

        2. Matt Adams Avatar
          Matt Adams

          “If military training was sufficient for police, we wouldn’t have spent 11 years in Iraq.”

          We spent 11 years in Iraq because there was no end state. It wasn’t because we didn’t have the right training. Not to mention we shouldn’t have gone in, in the first place.

          You’re clearly again, out of your depth.

  6. kls Avatar
    kls

    Most importantly — WHERE were they hired? Arlington or Appomattox?
    Fairfax or Fairfield?

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      No, more importantly — WHERE were they hired from? Buffalo or Atlanta? Minneapolis or Ferguson?

  7. DJRippert Avatar
    DJRippert

    This is from Nov 1, 2019 to Oct 31, 2020? The impact of the “defund the police” movement might not have worked its way through headcounts and recruiting by then. However, a 13% increase (absent the “defund the police” movement) is shocking. I guess the governmental entities in Virginia have money to burn.

    1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
      Dick Hall-Sizemore

      Nice try, D.J. If if the misnomer of “defund the police” were going to have any effect on recruiting, there would vacancies, not an increase in headcounts. As for Virginia governments having “money to burn”, do you suggest that they “defund” the police?

      1. DJRippert Avatar
        DJRippert

        The data that Jim references has the following caption … “Full-Time Law Enforcement Employees, Virginia, Oct. 31, 2020. Source: Crime in Virginia 2020”

        I understand the changes in that data to be a measurement from Oct 2019 to Oct 2020.

        George Floyd was murdered on May 25, 2020.

        The ensuing riots consumed most of the summer of 2020.

        The arguments to “defund the police” were made in volume toward the end of the Summer of 2020.

        Political action to actually defund the police was taken in the Fall of 2020.

        The period between Oct 2019 and Oct 2020 would not have included any material changes occasioned by the efforts to defund the police.

      2. DJRippert Avatar
        DJRippert

        The data that Jim references has the following caption … “Full-Time Law Enforcement Employees, Virginia, Oct. 31, 2020. Source: Crime in Virginia 2020”

        I understand the changes in that data to be a measurement from Oct 2019 to Oct 2020.

        George Floyd was murdered on May 25, 2020.

        The ensuing riots consumed most of the summer of 2020.

        The arguments to “defund the police” were made in volume toward the end of the Summer of 2020.

        Political action to actually defund the police was taken in the Fall of 2020.

        The period between Oct 2019 and Oct 2020 would not have included any material changes occasioned by the efforts to defund the police.

      3. DJRippert Avatar
        DJRippert

        “Defund the police” is hardly a misnomer. Rather, it is a stupid idea put forth by liberal politicians who are now trying to backtrack from what they said before they pay the penalty at the ballot box.

        1. LarrytheG Avatar
          LarrytheG

          Stupid idea put forth by SOME, not all, but tarred by the right in their pandering to their base who don’t really want nor need much in the way of truth and reason.

          The GOP tried that in New Mexico and you know how it turned out?

          ” ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Melanie Stansbury, the Democratic candidate in next week’s special congressional election here, spent last weekend touting Joe Biden’s agenda, vowing to strengthen infrastructure and fight climate change, drought and hunger.

          Her Republican opponent used the same preelection push to warn that she would be heading to Washington to “defund the police” and back legislation to close all federal prisons within 10 years, releasing infamous criminals out on the street.”

          here’s how it turned out:

          “Ms. Stansbury won a landslide victory in a special election to fill the seat vacated by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. ”

          “Democratic state representative Melanie Stansbury easily dispatched Republican state senator Mark Moores by a 60-36 margin. ”

          So, maybe Youngkin should try that strategy in Virginia?

  8. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    Ah, but who? What reason?

    BTW, Surprised and an Upvote, but alas, one can only choose one.

  9. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    The hidden danger of cutting police funding in a system without good licensure…

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c7zmCK1Dkz0

    https://www.yalelawjournal.org/article/the-wandering-officer

Leave a Reply

Read More