2026 OFFICER Media Group State of the Industry Projection Survey Summary

65% of the respondents who completed this year’s survey were of supervisory or command rank. Such a high percentage, we believe, offers validation to the information shared. That said, it’s important to remember that many smaller agencies have PFCs and Corporals who are mid-level rank and already serving in a supervisory capacity. If you include those ranks, another 10% is added. 33% of the respondents stated their current assignment is in Administration, Executive Office or Command. The duties of the respondents, however, encompassed almost every facet of law enforcement, from patrol to training to investigations to special operations and more. If we overlap the respondent rank with the duties, we can see where a large percentage of Lieutenants, Captains and Majors identified their duty assignment rather than a command position. When we add those in we again see the approximately two-thirds response from supervisory or command rank.

The largest type of agency that is represented in the responses is Municipal, followed by County, State and Campus. Federal, Medical (Hospitals) and Transit were also represented, though not in such large percentages.

We’re pleased to see that 64% of the respondents answered that they anticipate growth in their budget for the 2026 budget year. Again, remember some agencies are already in it, others starting this month (as this is published) and the rest starting January 1. For agencies seeing an increase in their budget, when asked what line items they’ll spend the extra dollars on, Salaries, Training and Fleet were the top three answers followed by Equipment, Uniforms and Less-Lethal Tools.

While 64% anticipate an increase, unfortunately, 15% report expecting a decrease in their budget. That means about 20% will see their budget stay flat — no increase or decrease expected. For those seeing the decrease, they intend to take those cuts from an even cross-section of line items, but 67% report taking the cuts from budget lines that don’t impact service to the community or training/ salary/equipment for the officers. That’s good news.

72% of the respondents are with agencies that have less than 100 officers in sworn strength. If you add in the agencies that have less than 250 officers, that percentage jumps to 80%. 25% of those who responded anticipate a growth in their sworn strength of 5% or less in the coming budget year. 50% of the respondents anticipated no change in their sworn strength for the coming budget year.

Most agencies that responded, report that their sworn strength is comprised of 60% or more male officers, and the largest bulk of the agencies who responded, roughly 90% report a near even split between Caucasian officers and officers of another ethnicity.

The Glock handgun in 9mm still seems to be the number one gun in duty holsters with about 76% of the responding agencies issuing it. Sig Sauer/SigArms and Smith & Wessons, both in 9mm, are number two and three in that order. 92% of the responding agencies said they won’t be switching handguns in the coming budget year with about 4% saying that they will be switching to a Glock in 9mm. A smattering, less than 1% each indicated that they will be changing to a different handgun, FN, H&K, SigArms, S&W Springfield Armory and Staccato Ming the guns being selected. 82% of agencies reported having a patrol rif le program, and another 68% report having a shotgun program.

View the full report at officer.com/55317428