Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers

Minimal Risk
15%
Where Would You Like to Go Next?
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Vote Comments (27)
Or, Explore This Profession in Greater Detail...
AUTOMATION RISK
CALCULATED
6%
(Minimal Risk)
POLLING
24%
(Low Risk)
Average: 15%
LABOR DEMAND
GROWTH
3.9%
by year 2033
WAGES
$72,280
or $34.75 per hour
Volume
646,310
as of 2023
SUMMARY
JOB SCORE
7.2/10

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Calculated automation risk

6% (Minimal Risk)

Minimal Risk (0-20%): Occupations in this category have a low probability of being automated, as they typically demand complex problem-solving, creativity, strong interpersonal skills, and a high degree of manual dexterity. These jobs often involve intricate hand movements and precise coordination, making it difficult for machines to replicate the required tasks.

More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.

Some very important qualities of the job are difficult to automate:

  • Assisting and Caring for Others

Some quite important qualities of the job are difficult to automate:

  • Social Perceptiveness

  • Persuasion

  • Negotiation

  • Originality

User poll

24% chance of full automation within the next two decades

Our visitors have voted there's a low chance this occupation will be automated. This assessment is further supported by the calculated automation risk level, which estimates 6% chance of automation.

What do you think the risk of automation is?

What is the likelihood that Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?






Sentiment

The following graph is included wherever there is a substantial amount of votes to render meaningful data. These visual representations display user poll results over time, providing a significant indication of sentiment trends.

Sentiment over time (yearly)

Growth

Moderate growth relative to other professions

The number of 'Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers' job openings is expected to rise 3.9% by 2033

Total employment, and estimated job openings

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period between 2021 and 2031
Updated projections are due 09-2024.

Wages

High paid relative to other professions

In 2023, the median annual wage for 'Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers' was $72,280, or $34 per hour

'Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers' were paid 50.4% higher than the national median wage, which stood at $48,060

Wages over time

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Volume

Significantly greater range of job opportunities compared to other professions

As of 2023 there were 646,310 people employed as 'Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers' within the United States.

This represents around 0.43% of the employed workforce across the country

Put another way, around 1 in 234 people are employed as 'Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers'.

Job description

Maintain order and protect life and property by enforcing local, tribal, state, or federal laws and ordinances. Perform a combination of the following duties: patrol a specific area; direct traffic; issue traffic summonses; investigate accidents; apprehend and arrest suspects, or serve legal processes of courts. Includes police officers working at educational institutions.

SOC Code: 33-3051.00

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Comments

Leave a comment

Damanpreet Singh (No chance) 6 months ago
How is supposed to change Because it’s a human kind of human can feel about the person
0 2 Reply
Kevin 7 months ago
It would work great because the AI would know the law and wouldn't retaliate against people they don't like.
0 2 Reply
matthew fitzgerald (Low) 10 months ago
robo cops wouldn't work because you would have to program them to have emotions, so they don't go into overdrive and kill or destroy everything.
3 3 Reply
Deputy Dredd (Low) 11 months ago
the question is would people find an automated law enforcement officer more credible than a human police officer. I think there will be more Artificial intelligence added to the job but not all automation as we currently understand computers
0 0 Reply
Sam 1 year ago
The public will likely never allow it to pass the legislature due to lack of trust for the technology.
0 0 Reply
Caleb (Low) 1 year ago
Many aspects of this profession require a human element (i.e., emotional intelligence, de-escalation, interviewing, rapport building, etc.) that current AI technology is incapable of reproducing at this time.
0 0 Reply
Philip Low (Low) 1 year ago
Although unlikely I do believe that more technology will be Implemented into day to day policing and such tasks as processing criminals may become automated but a lot of the human elements will never be automated.
0 0 Reply
Kirsten 1 year ago
Where I am from, they have automated speed radars and red light traffic cameras. Both of which will capture the vehicle registration and issue a ticket. Just saying. I agree it's safe from full take-over, but some changes will present.
0 0 Reply
Martin 3 years ago
Partially replaced for sure. There will likely always be some people, but you can replace a lot of the monotonous work with machines. Cameras and sensors can spot speeders and light runners. The new Boston Dynamics robots can do backhand springs. One cop could send a host of A.I. swarm bots to a crack house and handle it like a video game. Quadcopters, mechanical mice with cameras and microphones, armed dog bots, humanoid arrest bots, and self-driving cars.
0 0 Reply
Will 3 years ago
Over a year and NOBODY made a "Robocop" reference? The internet has disappointed me once again.
0 0 Reply
Steve W. 3 years ago
Imagine a cop that doesn't get emotional, doesn't have an ego, doesn't care about politics, and never uses the excuse, "I was afraid for my life."

Yes, we need AI-controlled robotic cops immediately. Many lives will be saved.
0 1 Reply
Metrixfr 5 months ago
Ok so if a criminal is about to boot your head off and send u 6ft under u would just allow that to happen. Your response is u just being completely delulu and do u really think a robot would be able to arrest a criminal with out humans help like I'm pretty sure a criminal would just destroy it and run away bruv.
1 0 Reply
Antonio 9 months ago
Ok buddy 😂
0 0 Reply
Sam 1 year ago
“Many lives”

In 2022 only about 1,000 deaths caused by police officers occurred and most were justified. There’s over 700,000 police officers to date, which comes out to less than 1% of all police officers in the entire USA.

You’re being completely ridiculous.
1 0 Reply
Angel Vollant (No chance) 3 years ago
No chance. Policing requires critical thinking, logic, situational assessment and decision-making which can’t fit into a program. When a police officer sees someone committing a crime, it’s up to them to decide what to do. If a man’s smoking pot alone in the park, do they deserve to be arrested? The cop will go up to them, talk a bit, leave a warning and may or may not leave a ticket depending on how the man acts. If he’s polite and cooperative, the officer will probably let him off with a warning. If he’s erratic and violent, he’ll arrest him. A robot, however, won’t think that far. Sees someone committing a crime (smoking pot) and simply arrest him. If he doesn’t comply, use violence. They’re programmed to do what the programmer put into it. If someone has a knife, take them out. Simple as that. Doesn’t matter if it’s a woman defending herself against an abuser. The robot’ll see a knife and shoot her. Robocop explained it very well. Police officers need compassion and emotions. If you could program a robot to do that, you’ve got yourself a human.
0 0 Reply
Anon 10 months ago
It's over 3 years since your post. AI has greatly progressed. I don't think anyone in 2020 thought AI would be where it is now. AI can easily do all the critical thinking, logic, situational assessment and decision-making, and it might not be available yet, but it is apparent that it can fit inside a program. What is more difficult is that policing requires a physical presence. Robotics just isn't there yet, and even if it ever does get there, you'd basically need a highly expensive robot to replace each individual officer. Whereas AI on a single server with access to multiple phone lines (and ai voice automation) can easily replace a 100+ person office.

It's not impossible for AI to take over policing, but due to economic factors, it is likely one of the least at-risk professions to be taken over by AI
0 0 Reply
mister sir 4 years ago
I think it's good that they have a low chance of being replaced by robots because although humans can be biased, humans make better decisions and can pick up on clues or emotions better.
0 0 Reply
My name isn't your bidness. (Uncertain) 4 years ago
There is a lot of talk about things like the androids from D:BH so I think it could go either way if artificial intelligence is improved.
0 0 Reply
Khan (Low) 4 years ago
Competent police officers require human communication skills and human coordination (for the later see the old “robots struggle to walk up stairs” problem)
0 0 Reply
frankie (Low) 4 years ago
as police need to have good decision making skills as robots do not
0 0 Reply
Anonomous (Low) 4 years ago
THAT IS CRAZY HOW WOULD THEY GET COPS REPLACED!??!!?
0 0 Reply
A 3 months ago
It will be like Robocop, but the human is replaced with AI.
0 0 Reply
Meep (Uncertain) 4 years ago
Because if you only go up to 20 years from now it may change past then.
0 0 Reply
Lachlan Beck (No chance) 5 years ago
Because Robots lack the feeling of emotions and aren't able to be empathetic to other humans or robots therefore they lack a key skill of being an officer
0 0 Reply
Hope Pringle 5 years ago
Yeah, I want to see a person behind the badge, not some dumb robot who can feel for the victims or people in general! I want to be a police officer when I grow up NO robot will take my job. I will not let that happen!
0 0 Reply
Ben 5 years ago
A computer has the capacity to think thousands of times faster than a human. When AI and robotics reach the level of performing the job... People can't compete. Almost perfect job performance...or a human... You choose. Computers aren't stressed out, they have no bias... They are, in every way capable of being better at the job...
0 0 Reply

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