Research Reports
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2021
Police Chiefs Serving Small and Rural Municipalities: Profiles and Concerns
August 02, 2021 | Emergency Services
In a study on Rural police departments, police chiefs were mostly non-Hispanic white men about 52 years old, with 28 years of policing experience, and about 9 years of experience as police chief. The average annual salary is between $50,000 and $99,000. Rural police departments had smaller budgets, on average than urban departments. Small and rural police departments tended to lack adequate human resources to meet the demand for services. Rural departments were also less likely to offer mental health services to their officers. Chiefs reported that the most pressing crime problems in their area were illicit drugs, domestic violence, and traffic violations. Substance abuse was reported as the top socioeconomic (noncriminal) concern facing their communities, followed by aging infrastructure, lack of youth services, and meeting the needs of older residents.
Executive Summary
Tags: emergency services
2016
The Financial Fitness of Pennsylvania Volunteer Fire Companies (2016)
May 03, 2016 | Emergency Services
To better understand the financial condition of Pennsylvania’s volunteer fire companies (VFCs), this research examined rural and urban VFCs to analyze trends in revenue, expenditures, operating budgets, capital budgets, cash reserves, and long-term savings. The research also examined the finances of recently merged/consolidated VFCs to determine if the mergers were financially beneficial.
Tags: emergency services , firefighters , volunteer
Introducing the Center's new journal, Rural Policy: The Research Bulletin of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.