Racial Diversity of Virginia Sheriffs’ Offices A 2014 Cross-Sectional Study By: Elizabeth Rose LaBelle

The Problem USA is one of the most racially diverse countries Virginia is listed by USA as one of the most diverse states (#12) in the Nation The majority of local law enforcement agencies consist of <20% non-white full-time sworn officers Underrepresentation of diversity Need more representative law enforcement agencies

Purpose & Significance Examine what variables within local law enforcement agencies are most related to their lack of racial diversity. Variables that affect the recruitment, retention rates, and financial aspects of maintaining more racially diverse Sheriffs’ Offices within Virginia.

The Concentric Zone Model (1925)- Robert E. Park, Ernest Burgess, & Roderic McKenzie Studies results showed that regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity, the behaviors of these neighborhoods are primarily controlled by the same socioeconomic pressures. Made up of 5 concentric ‘rings’- social and physical deterioration towards the city’s center where population density is the highest, neighborhood conditions (wealthy vs. non-wealthy) had the largest determinant effect on criminal behavior. (2008)- Kyle Crowder and Scott South Study results showed that White families are more likely to move away from a certain area if they perceive the surrounding neighborhoods have become predominately racially diverse. (2014)- Salomon Alococer Guajardo Minority integration on intra-workgroup interactions Larger workgroups with higher levels of employment disparity among Whites and minorities have lower level of intra-workgroup interactions

Methodology Cross-Sectional Research Design Population Utilized Survey Census conducted at the request of the Virginia Sheriffs’ Institute (VSI) Population Utilized Requested 123 Sheriffs’ Offices in the Commonwealth of Virginia to Participate 85 Offices responded (n=85) Responses collected through postal mail/email/fax/phone calls Data Analysis Frequency Table Descriptive Analysis Pearson’s r Multiple Regression

Variables Tested Dependent variable- racial diversity Category of Office Functions Primary Traffic Primary Death Investigation Primary Narcotics Primary Search and Rescue Primary Communications Primary Court Security Primary Civil Process Agency Participates in 911 System Deputy Assigned to Work with Victims In-house Attorney Dependent variable- racial diversity Operationalized as- Percentage Non-White Full-time Sworn Officers Independent Variables= 31 Percentage of Female Full-time Sworn Officers Deputy Population in Agency Spanish-speaking Deputy Agency Provides School Resource Officers (SROs) Involved in Community-Oriented Policing In-house Chaplain Spanish-speaking Deputy In-house Counseling Services Incident Assault Weapons Used Required to Wear Protective Body Armor Deputies Take Vehicles Home Functions of Computer-Crime Analysis Functions of Computer-Record Keeping In-house Exercise Facility Percentage of Officers in Their Twenties Percentage of Officers in Their Thirties Extra Training Requirement Extra Training Requirement- Class Hours Entry Level Salary Schedule Minimum Education Pay Incentive to Sworn Full-Time Health Insurance Provided to Retired Deputy

Table 1. Deputy Sheriff Information per Sheriffs’ Office (n=85). Variable Number Percent* Percent of Non-White Full-Time Sworn Officers 0-20 23 59.9 21-40 10 26.0 41-60 2 5.2 61-80 1 2.6 81+ Missing 47 Percent Female 0-10 13 34.2 11-20 15 39.5 21-30 6 15.8 31-40 3 7.9 41+ Category of Office Functions Full Service 19.2 Jail and Court 16.7 Law Enforcement and Court Service 39 50.0 Court Service 11 14.1 7 Spanish-Speaking Deputy Yes 48 58.5 No 34 41.5 Personnel Education Pay Incentive 9 12.7 62 87.3 14

Table 1 (cont.). Deputy Sheriff Information per Sheriffs’ Office (n=85). Variable Number Percent* Percentages of Officers in Their Twenties 0-10.68 15 23.1 10.69-16.22 17 26.2 16.23-20.85 13 20.0 20.86-29.4 14 21.6 29.42+ 6 9.2 Missing 20 Percentages of Officers in Their Thirties 0-22.78 19 26.9 22.79-27.63 21.1 27.64-31.82 16 22.6 31.83-50.00 24.0 50.01+ 2 2.8 Involved in Community Oriented Policing Program Yes 32 38.6 No 51 61.4 Health Insurance Provided to Retired Deputies 35 44.9 43 55.1 7

Table 2. Descriptive Analysis of Deputy Sheriff Information per Sheriff’s Office (n=85). Variable Mean Standard Deviation Percentage of Non-White Full-time Sworn Officers 21.60 .218 Percentage Female 15.9 .098 Deputy Population in Agency 967 1030 Percentage of Officers in Their Twenties 17.6 9.40 Percentage of Officers in Their Thirties 28.1 9.69 Extra Training Requirement 1.5 .50 Extra Training Requirement- Class Training Hours 110.1 220 Salary Schedule Entry Level Minimum $35,794 4,995

Table 3. Pearson’s Correlation for Independent Variables and Dependent Variable of Percentage Non-White Full-Time Sworn Officers (n=85). Variable r p Percentage of Female Officers 0.581 .000 Primary Traffic 0.463 .003 Primary Death Investigation 0.592 Primary Narcotics 0.472 Primary Search and Rescue 0.413 .010 Primary Communications 0.352 .030 Primary Civil Process 0.558 Agency Participates in 911 System 0.531 .001 Agency Provides School Resource Officers 0.602 In-house Attorney -0.380 .019 Incident Assault Weapons Used 0.379 .021 Functions of Computer-Crime Analysis 0.404 .012

Table 4. Regression Analysis to Explain Agency Diversity (Model 10). Variables Adjusted R² p Percentage Female Officers .678 .000 Primary Civil Process Agency Provides School Resource Officer

Limitations & Recommendations Accuracy of information filled out by agency representative Number of responding agencies Older data Recommendations: Longitudinal research design On-site survey administration Look at differences in part-time vs. full-time, sworn vs. un-sworn in terms of agency’s racial diversity

Questions?