Crime & Safety

Does Greenfield Have Enough Police Officers?

Use this searchable database on Patch to see how your city compares with others around the state.

When it comes to how many police officers a community should have, is there a right number?

There are no federal or state—or even local—mandates for how many officers provide optimal protection and service. The International Association of Chiefs of Police in a recent patrol staffing and deployment study states plainly:

"Ready-made, universally applicable patrol staffing standards do not exist. Ratios, such as officers-per-thousand population, are totally inappropriate as a basis for staffing decisions."

Find out what's happening in Greenfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Instead, the study says needs should be determined by a number of different factors, including:

  • Priorities
  • Number of calls for service
  • Population size, density and composition
  • Citizen demands for protective services
  • Municipal resources

So, how does Greenfield stack up against other communities in Wisconsin? Use this handy database to find out.

Find out what's happening in Greenfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Data is from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's annual Crime in the United States report, which incorporates information reported to the FBI by law enforcement agencies. This report covers 2011.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.