The Impact of COVID-19 on Law Enforcement Agencies: A Multi-Wave National Survey

• Activity Number: 325 - Investigating COVID-19 and the Criminal Legal System, Policing, and Crime
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Tuesday, August 9, 2022 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
• Sponsor: Social Statistics Section
• Author(s): Cynthia Lum* and Carl Maupin
• Companies: George Mason University and International Association of Chiefs of Police
• Keywords: COVID; police; crime; justice; emergency response; law enforcement

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected the operational landscape of policing. The police—along with fire and rescue and emergency medical response—were on the front lines of the COVID-19 response, tending to medical emergencies and managing some of the social consequences of the pandemic while at the same time providing for public safety and reassurance. The risk of exposure to COVID is high for first responders, and some law enforcement officers have succumbed to the disease. Stay-at-home orders also changed people's routines, impacting crime patterns, disorder, traffic accidents, and other events to which officers routinely respond. To better understand the immediate impacts of COVID-19, the authors implemented a national survey of law enforcement agencies in March of 2020 and again in May 2020 on law enforcement agencies and their jurisdictions. Findings show that COVID-19 led to significant changes in law enforcement operations, citizen calls for service, and police activities. Policy and practice recommendations will be discussed.