NCJ Number
311643
Date Published
May 2026
Length
21 pages
Abstract
This report presents statistics on full-time federal law enforcement officers who were authorized to make arrests, carry firearms, or both. It describes job functions and demographic characteristics of federal law enforcement officers. Findings in this report are from the 2023 Census of Federal Law Enforcement Officers, which BJS has conducted periodically since 1993. It is the 10th in its series.
Highlights
In fiscal year 2023:
- Eighty-eight federal agencies reported employing 133,798 full-time federal law enforcement officers, 3,519 (3%) of whom were employed by Offices of Inspectors General.
- The Department of Homeland Security employed 65,106 federal law enforcement officers, about half (49%) of all federal law enforcement officers.
- Criminal investigation was the primary function for about two-thirds (70%) of federal officers.
- Fifteen percent of federal law enforcement officers and 14% of supervisory law enforcement personnel were female.
- More than half (57%) of federal law enforcement officers were white, 20% were Hispanic or Latino, and 10% were black.