Police spending per resident (definition)FY2016
Not reported for this year
- Peer median
- Not reported for this year
- CO median
- Not reported for this year
- Position
- Not reported for this year
- 5-year change
- Not reported for this year
Sterling · 2016 public safety benchmarks
Logan County · Eastern Plains · Pop. 13,054 (2025 estimate); 2016 per-resident figures use 14,549 · Public safety data 2016–2025
2016 in brief
Sterling had 1.4 sworn officers per 1,000 residents in 2016, 33% below its peers. Reported violent crime was 3.4 per 1,000 residents, 75% above the Colorado median, and property crime was 51% above the median. Police cleared 46.9% of reported violent crimes, 6% above peers.
Generated from the figures below. Every number links to its source.
Notes: spending is fiscal-year Census data; staffing and crime are calendar-year FBI data via CBI. Dollars are nominal. Definitions: orivian.ai/benchmarks/methodology#public-safety
Compared with
The finance peers: nearest on population, household income and region
Reporting agency: Sterling Police Department (ORI CO0380100) · 12 of 12 months reported.
Spending & staffing
Spending: FY2016, the government's fiscal year (Census). Staffing: 2016, sworn officers on the payroll October 31 (FBI).
Police share of spending (definition)FY2016
Not reported for this year
- Peer median
- Not reported for this year
- CO median
- Not reported for this year
- Position
- Not reported for this year
- 5-year change
- Not reported for this year
Police spending per officer (definition)FY2016Police spending for the fiscal year divided by sworn officers on the payroll as of October 31 of that year. Spending covers civilian staff, equipment and construction as well as officer pay, so this is not a salary figure.
Not reported for this year
- Peer median
- Not reported for this year
- CO median
- Not reported for this year
- Position
- Not reported for this year
- 5-year change
- Not reported for this year
Officers per 1,000 residents (definition)2016
1.4
33% below peersper 1,000 residents
- Peer median
- 2.0
- CO median · 145 with a published figureMedian of the Colorado municipalities with a published officers per 1,000 residents for 2016.
- 2.4
- Position
- Higher than 10% of the 145 reporting
- 5-year change
- Not enough history for a 5-year change
Reported outcomes
Reported crime reflects what is reported to police and how it is recorded, not only how much crime occurs.
Violent crime rate (definition)2016
3.4
7% above peersper 1,000 residents
- Peer median
- 3.2
- CO median · 126 with a published figureMedian of the Colorado municipalities with a published violent crime rate for 2016.
- 1.9
- Position
- Higher than 78% of the 126 reporting
- 5-year change
- Not enough history for a 5-year change
Property crime rate (definition)2016
34.5
14% below peersper 1,000 residents
- Peer median
- 40.3
- CO median · 126 with a published figureMedian of the Colorado municipalities with a published property crime rate for 2016.
- 22.9
- Position
- Higher than 74% of the 126 reporting
- 5-year change
- Not enough history for a 5-year change
Violent crime clearance rate (definition)2016A clearance rate counts offenses cleared during the year against offenses reported that year. On its own it doesn't measure how effective a department is: clearances can include earlier years' offenses, and agencies record clearances differently.
46.9%
6% above peers- Peer median
- 44.3%
- CO median · 65 with a published figureMedian of the Colorado municipalities with a published violent crime clearance rate for 2016.
- 50.2%
- Position
- Higher than 39% of the 65 reporting
- 5-year change
- Not enough history for a 5-year change
Property crime clearance rate (definition)2016A clearance rate counts offenses cleared during the year against offenses reported that year. On its own it doesn't measure how effective a department is: clearances can include earlier years' offenses, and agencies record clearances differently.
23.9%
21% above peers- Peer median
- 19.7%
- CO median · 113 with a published figureMedian of the Colorado municipalities with a published property crime clearance rate for 2016.
- 20.4%
- Position
- Higher than 62% of the 113 reporting
- 5-year change
- Not enough history for a 5-year change
How this number was calculated
Police spending per resident · Not reported for this year
Reported by the city to the Census Bureau1Metric
— Police spending divided by population
= Police spending ÷ population
Full definition: Police spending per resident2Inputs
Reported directly; no derived inputs.
3Census line items
No line items recorded.
4Source file
No source recorded.
Police share of spending · Not reported for this year
Reported by the city to the Census Bureau1Metric
— Police spending as a share of total expenditure
= Police spending ÷ total expenditure
Full definition: Police share of spending2Inputs
Reported directly; no derived inputs.
3Census line items
No line items recorded.
4Source file
No source recorded.
Police spending per officer · Not reported for this year
Census police spending ÷ FBI sworn officers (Oct 31)1Metric
— Police spending divided by sworn officers. Police spending covers civilian staff, equipment and construction as well as officer pay, so this is not a salary figure.
= Police spending ÷ sworn officers
Full definition: Police spending per officer2Inputs
Reported directly; no derived inputs.
3Census line items
No line items recorded.
4Source file
No source recorded.
Officers per 1,000 residents · 1.4
Reported by Sterling Police Department to CBI and the FBI1Metric
1.4 Sworn officers per 1,000 residents
= Sworn officers ÷ population * 1000
Full definition: Officers per 1,000 residents2Inputs
Sworn officers 20 · Population 14,549 (2016 estimate)
3Who is counted
- Full-time sworn officers on the payroll October 31
Included by definition; counts are the agency’s totals.
4Source file
Crime Data Explorer police employees, 2016
- Value for
- 2016
- Source year
- 2016
Retrieved October 12, 2026 · View source: Crime Data Explorer police employees, 2016 (opens in a new tab)
Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2020 - incorporated places
- Value for
- 2016
- Source year
- 2020
Retrieved October 7, 2026 · View source: Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2020 - incorporated places (opens in a new tab)
Violent crime rate · 3.4
Reported by Sterling Police Department to CBI and the FBI1Metric
3.4 Violent crimes per 1,000 residents
= Violent crimes ÷ population * 1000
Full definition: Violent crime rate2Inputs
Violent crimes 49 · Population 14,549 (2016 estimate)
3Offenses included (FBI definitions)
- Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter
- Rape
- Robbery
- Aggravated assault
Included by definition; counts are the agency’s totals.
4Source file
Crime Data Explorer summarized offenses and clearances, 2016
- Value for
- 2016
- Source year
- 2016
Retrieved October 12, 2026 · View source: Crime Data Explorer summarized offenses and clearances, 2016 (opens in a new tab)
Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2020 - incorporated places
- Value for
- 2016
- Source year
- 2020
Retrieved October 7, 2026 · View source: Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2020 - incorporated places (opens in a new tab)
Property crime rate · 34.5
Reported by Sterling Police Department to CBI and the FBI1Metric
34.5 Property crimes per 1,000 residents
= Property crimes ÷ population * 1000
Full definition: Property crime rate2Inputs
Property crimes 502 · Population 14,549 (2016 estimate)
3Offenses included (FBI definitions)
- Burglary
- Larceny-theft
- Motor vehicle theft
- Arson excluded
Included by definition; counts are the agency’s totals.
4Source file
Crime Data Explorer summarized offenses and clearances, 2016
- Value for
- 2016
- Source year
- 2016
Retrieved October 12, 2026 · View source: Crime Data Explorer summarized offenses and clearances, 2016 (opens in a new tab)
Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2020 - incorporated places
- Value for
- 2016
- Source year
- 2020
Retrieved October 7, 2026 · View source: Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2020 - incorporated places (opens in a new tab)
Violent crime clearance rate · 46.9%
Reported by Sterling Police Department to CBI and the FBI1Metric
46.9% Violent crimes cleared as a share of violent crimes reported. Clearances can include offenses from earlier years, so this can exceed 100%.
= Violent crimes cleared ÷ violent crimes
Full definition: Violent crime clearance rate2Inputs
Violent crimes cleared 23 · Violent crimes 49
3Offenses included (FBI definitions)
- Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter (cleared)
- Rape (cleared)
- Robbery (cleared)
- Aggravated assault (cleared)
Included by definition; counts are the agency’s totals.
4Source file
Crime Data Explorer summarized offenses and clearances, 2016
- Value for
- 2016
- Source year
- 2016
Retrieved October 12, 2026 · View source: Crime Data Explorer summarized offenses and clearances, 2016 (opens in a new tab)
Property crime clearance rate · 23.9%
Reported by Sterling Police Department to CBI and the FBI1Metric
23.9% Property crimes cleared as a share of property crimes reported. Clearances can include offenses from earlier years, so this can exceed 100%.
= Property crimes cleared ÷ property crimes
Full definition: Property crime clearance rate2Inputs
Property crimes cleared 120 · Property crimes 502
3Offenses included (FBI definitions)
- Burglary (cleared)
- Larceny-theft (cleared)
- Motor vehicle theft (cleared)
- Arson excluded
Included by definition; counts are the agency’s totals.
4Source file
Crime Data Explorer summarized offenses and clearances, 2016
- Value for
- 2016
- Source year
- 2016
Retrieved October 12, 2026 · View source: Crime Data Explorer summarized offenses and clearances, 2016 (opens in a new tab)
Sterling and its peers
The same five peers as the finance pages. Police spending is per resident for the fiscal year shown; staffing and crime are per 1,000 residents for 2016. How peers are chosen
| Fiscal year · Census | Calendar year · FBI via CBI | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Municipality | Police spendingper resident · FY2016 | Officers per 1,000 residentsper 1,000 · 2016 | Violent crimeper 1,000 · 2016 | Property crimeper 1,000 · 2016 | Violent crime clearance2016 |
| Sterling | Not reported for this year | 1.4 | 3.4 | 34.5 | 46.9% |
| Fort Morgan | $261 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 26.9 | 48.6% |
| Lamar | $282 | 2.5 | Withheld Lamar · Violent crime rate · 2016 Reason: Agency reported 3 of 12 months Crime, clearance and staffing figures come from the police agency's reports to CBI and the FBI, not the city's financial statements. A year stays withheld until the agency's FBI record for it is complete or the agency confirms it. | Withheld Lamar · Property crime rate · 2016 Reason: Agency reported 3 of 12 months Crime, clearance and staffing figures come from the police agency's reports to CBI and the FBI, not the city's financial statements. A year stays withheld until the agency's FBI record for it is complete or the agency confirms it. | Not reported for this year |
| La Junta | $184 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 53.6 | 42.9% |
| Brush | $208 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 7.6 | Not shown Brush · Violent crime clearance rate · 2016 Reason: Fewer than 10 violent crimes reported; a clearance rate would not be meaningful |
| Federal Heights | $279 | 1.8 | 5.3 | 54.2 | 44.3% |
| Peer median | Not reported for this year | 2.0 | 3.2 | 40.3 | 44.3% |
Trends
Police spending by fiscal year; staffing and crime by calendar year. Lines break where a year is missing or withheld; nothing is interpolated.
- This city
- Peer median
- Withheld (shown on the axis, no value)
Fiscal year · nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation
Census definition change: Excludes equipment purchases and payments to other governments, which Census stopped reporting after FY2021.
Peer group changed in FY2023. Peers are matched each year, so the peer median can step when the group changes.
Show data table
| Year | This city | Peer median | Colorado median |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2021 | $185 | $248 | $332 (174 reporting, sample year) |
| FY2023 | $320 | $337 | $428 (91 reporting, sample year) |
Calendar year
Peer group changed in 2021, 2023. Peers are matched each year, so the peer median can step when the group changes.
Show data table
| Year | This city | Peer median | Colorado median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 (145 reporting, sample year) |
| 2017 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 2.2 (145 reporting, sample year) |
| 2018 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 2.2 (152 reporting, sample year) |
| 2019 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 2.2 (153 reporting, sample year) |
| 2020 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.2 (153 reporting, sample year) |
| 2021 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.3 (155 reporting, sample year) |
| 2022 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 1.9 (155 reporting, sample year) |
| 2023 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 2.3 (155 reporting, sample year) |
| 2024 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 2.4 (155 reporting, sample year) |
| 2025 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 2.5 (143 reporting, sample year) |
Calendar year
Peer group changed in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025. Peers are matched each year, so the peer median can step when the group changes.
Show data table
| Year | This city | Peer median | Colorado median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 1.9 (126 reporting, sample year) |
| 2017 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 1.7 (129 reporting, sample year) |
| 2018 | 6.8 | 4.1 | 2.1 (126 reporting, sample year) |
| 2019 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 2.0 (130 reporting, sample year) |
| 2020 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 2.0 (140 reporting, sample year) |
| 2021 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 2.5 (133 reporting, sample year) |
| 2022 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 2.4 (121 reporting, sample year) |
| 2023 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 2.5 (122 reporting, sample year) |
| 2024 | 4.0 | 2.8 | 2.1 (135 reporting, sample year) |
| 2025 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 2.1 (139 reporting, sample year) |
Calendar year
Peer group changed in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025. Peers are matched each year, so the peer median can step when the group changes.
Show data table
| Year | This city | Peer median | Colorado median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 34.5 | 40.3 | 22.9 (126 reporting, sample year) |
| 2017 | 31.5 | 28.2 | 21.6 (129 reporting, sample year) |
| 2018 | 34.4 | 33.7 | 20.2 (126 reporting, sample year) |
| 2019 | 32.2 | 23.9 | 18.3 (130 reporting, sample year) |
| 2020 | 39.6 | 25.0 | 19.5 (140 reporting, sample year) |
| 2021 | 35.4 | 25.4 | 20.9 (133 reporting, sample year) |
| 2022 | 28.2 | 21.8 | 20.6 (121 reporting, sample year) |
| 2023 | 35.2 | 24.2 | 19.6 (122 reporting, sample year) |
| 2024 | 29.1 | 19.4 | 15.9 (135 reporting, sample year) |
| 2025 | 22.6 | 13.9 | 13.6 (139 reporting, sample year) |
About these numbers
- The city's own published statistics may differ: CBI counts some offenses once per victim, while many cities count once per case.
- Reported crime reflects what is reported to police and how it is recorded, not only how much crime occurs.
- Police spending here is FY2016, the government’s fiscal year; crime, clearances and staffing are calendar year 2016.
Sources · Retrieved October 12, 2026 from orivian.ai/benchmarks/public-safety
Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances 2017 - Individual Unit File · 2017 survey file
U.S. Census Bureau
Crime Data Explorer police employees, 2016 · 2016
FBI Crime Data Explorer (NIBRS data submitted by Colorado agencies through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation)
Retrieved October 12, 2026View source: Crime Data Explorer police employees, 2016 (opens in a new tab)Crime Data Explorer summarized offenses and clearances, 2016 · 2016
FBI Crime Data Explorer (NIBRS data submitted by Colorado agencies through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation)
Retrieved October 12, 2026View source: Crime Data Explorer summarized offenses and clearances, 2016 (opens in a new tab)Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2020 - incorporated places · 2020
U.S. Census Bureau
Retrieved October 7, 2026View source: Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2020 - incorporated places (opens in a new tab)
Every figure on this page is read from the published index; nothing is recalculated for display. Read the methodology
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