~11,000
Sworn Officers Statewide
2023
2.0
Officers per 1,000 Residents
2023
Historical data
Coming soon
Long-run charts for this indicator are on the way.
Compared to the United States
| Indicator | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Officers per 1,000 residents | 2 | 2.4 |
National ranking
How states rank by officers per 1,000 residents.
| #1 | Utah | 6,600 |
| #2 | New Hampshire | 2,700 |
| #3 | Rhode Island | 2,400 |
| #4 | Delaware | 1,700 |
| #5 | Tennessee | 257 |
| #6 | Nevada | 220 |
| #7 | Maine | 164 |
| #8 | Montana | 145 |
| #9 | Alaska | 46 |
| #10 | Wyoming | 45 |
| #11 | Vermont | 40 |
| #12 | South Dakota | 9 |
| #13 | New Jersey | 3.4 |
| #14 | Illinois | 2.9 |
| #15 | Louisiana | 2.6 |
| #16 | Massachusetts | 2.5 |
| #17 | Missouri | 2.4 |
| #18 | Wisconsin | 2.3 |
| #19 | Ohio | 2.2 |
| #20 | Kentucky | 2.2 |
| #21 | Virginia | 2.2 |
| #22 | Georgia | 2.2 |
| #23 | North Carolina | 2.2 |
| #24 | Texas | 2.1 |
| #25 | Florida | 2.1 |
| #26 | Colorado | 2.1 |
| #27 | Indiana | 2 |
| #28 | Minnesota | 2 |
| #29 | California | 2 |
| #30 | Michigan | 1.9 |
| #31 | Arizona | 1.8 |
| #32 | New Mexico | 1.8 |
| #33 | Oregon | 1.6 |
| #34 | Washington | 1.35 |
Overview
Law enforcement in South Carolina is staffed by an estimated 11,000 sworn officers across SLED, county sheriffs, and municipal police departments, or about 2.0 officers per 1,000 residents. Recruitment and retention have been a challenge for smaller rural agencies in recent years.
Did you know?
- The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) was created in 1947 and remains the state's primary criminal investigative agency.