SUPPORTING STATEMENT
A. Justification
1. Necessity of Information Collection
The Survey of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, a recurring BJS survey, is presently the only systematic, national-level data collection providing information about law enforcement personnel, budgets, equipment, and policies and procedures. This survey series is the most comprehensive source of national statistics about law enforcement agency operations. There is no other source for these important statistics. The data are collected from approximately 3,000 agencies across the country, representing the nearly 18,000 State and local agencies nationwide. Previous LEMAS surveys have been conducted approximately every three years, starting in 1987, providing information about important issues, trends, and needs in law enforcement.
Some selected findings from the most recent LEMAS survey (conducted in 2003) regarding local police departments include:
Personnel
Racial and ethnic minorities comprised 23.6% of full-time sworn personnel in 2003, up from 14.6% in 1987
Women comprised 11.3% of officers in 2003, up from 7.6% in 1987
Budget and pay
Departments had total operating budgets of $43.3 billion during fiscal 2003, 10% more than in 2000 after adjusting for inflation.
Starting salaries in 2003 ranged from an average of about $23,400 in the smallest jurisdictions to $37,700 in the largest
Operations
Fifty-nine percent of departments used foot patrol regularly; 38% used bicycle patrol on a regular basis
Eighteen percent of departments had officers assigned full time to a special unit for drug enforcement; nearly a quarter of departments had officers assigned to a multi-agency drug task force
Community policing
Fourteen percent of departments, employing 44% of all officers, maintained or created a written community policing plan during the previous year
Fifty-eight percent of departments, employing 82% of all officers, used full-time community policing officers during 2003; collectively, there were about 54,800 officers so assigned
Policies and procedures
Sixty-two percent of departments had written policies about racial profiling by officers
Thirty-nine percent of departments had a written plan specifying actions to be taken in the event of a terrorist attack. This included a majority of departments serving 10,000 or more residents
Equipment
In 2003 the .40-caliber semiautomatic was the most commonly authorized sidearm, with 62% of departments authorizing its use by officers
Almost all departments (99%) authorized use of chemical agents such as pepper spray during 2003, up from 51% in 1990.
Computers and information systems
From 1990 to 2003 the percentage of departments using in-field computers increased from 5% to 56%
In 2003, 55% of departments used paper reports as the primary means to transmit incident data from the field, down from 86% in 1997. During the same time period, use of computer and data devices increased from 9% to 38%
The statutory authorization to collect these data is derived from Title 42 U.S.C. Section 3732 (Attachment 1), in which the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is directed to collect and analyze statistical information regarding the operation of the criminal justice system at the Federal, state, and local levels.
2. Uses of Information
The data collected under the LEMAS program are used to provide national estimates of law enforcement personnel, budgets, equipment, and policies and procedures. These statistics are requested and used by police chiefs, sheriffs, legislators, planners, researchers, and others to identify resource needs, trends, and priorities in law enforcement. This survey has been used to describe the nature of law enforcement in America since 1987, and will continue to inform policy making, planning, and budgeting at all levels of government.
Below is a representative list of organizations that have requested BJS law enforcement data over the past year. The many unaffiliated individuals who also request information are not included. Uses of information include policy decisions, budget hearings, research and planning, market research, benchmark comparisons, grant applications, and journalistic purposes. BJS tracks the types of information requested that can be provided through LEMAS, as well as those requests that LEMAS can’t fulfill. Data that are frequently requested solidify their position to remain in the instrument or as candidates to be added. Other requests that have merit and can be met with relatively simple modifications to the instrument will also be seriously considered. BJS also maintains a web-based information request system called “askbjs” that is a valuable source for BJS as it as determines how its information is used. Information requestors play an important role in helping BJS determine the content of the LEMAS survey.
Federal agencies
National Institute of Justice
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Bureau of Justice Assistance
National Drug Intelligence Center
U.S. Dept. of Justice, Civil Rights Division
Federal Bureau of Investigation
U.S. Government Accountability Office
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security
U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
Non-Federal agencies
San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Memphis-Shelby Crime Commission
New York City Police
Fulton County District Attorney’s Office
Wisconsin Bureau of Law Enforcement
California Board of Equalization
Fairfax County Police
George Washington University Police
Media
Philadelphia Inquirer
The Oregonian
New York Times
Washington Post
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
USA Today
Smart Money magazine
Wall Street Journal
LSU Daily Reveille
Miami Herald
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Des Moines Register
Associated Press
Academic institutions
University of Maryland – College Park
George Washington University
State University of New York – Albany
Penn State University
University of South Florida
Milwaukee Area Technical College
University of New Mexico
Iowa State University
Organizations
International Association of Chiefs of Police
International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators
National Sheriffs’ Association
International Police Mountain Bike Association
National Association of Pretrial Services Agencies
National Association of Bail Insurance Commissioners
Institute on Race and Justice
Omaha Police Union
National Fraternal Order of Police
VERA Institute
PEW Charitable Trusts
Private companies
Wireless Alert Technologies
Stifel Nicolaus Capital Markets
Science Applications International Corporation
Beretta USA, Inc.
3. Efforts to Minimize Burden
This information collection is a sample survey based on the recurring BJS Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies. The Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies (CSLLEA) was conducted in 2004 to update the previous census data collected in 2000. CSLLEA updates are conducted every 4 years, to provide national counts of law enforcement agencies and personnel and to create a more accurate sampling frame for the Survey of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, which was last conducted in 2003. The CSLLEA update allows the sampling frame to more accurately reflect agency closures, mergers, as well as the opening of new agencies. It also incorporates updated personnel counts which are used for stratification purposes. As a result, respondent burden is reduced, in that responses are only requested from approximately 15% of the Census enumerated agencies.
The data collection methodology includes Along-form@ and Ashort-form@ variations of the data collection instrument. Large agencies receive the long-form (CJ-44L) and smaller agencies receive the short-form (CJ-44). BJS will also offer a web-based response option as part of this data collection. Based on previous law enforcement data collections, BJS estimates that up to 30% of respondents will use this electronic option. BJS has also attempted to minimize the complexity of questions and ensured that terminology conforms to current standard practices in law enforcement. It is estimated that data collection will take three hours per long-form respondent and two hours per short-form respondent. BJS will provide for the respondent to submit data through the web, by mail, or by fax. Personal telephone interviews will be conducted for nonrespondents.
4. Efforts to Identify Duplication
There will be no duplication of effort based on the nature and scope
of this survey. The information sought is not attainable from any
other data source. The only other Federal agency that conducts a
national data collection of State and local law enforcement agencies
is the FBI. Their data are limited to personnel counts and reported
crime counts for agencies that participate in the Uniform Crime
Reporting program. This limitation makes it insufficient to serve
as a sampling frame for LEMAS.
5. Minimizing Burden on Small Businesses
Not applicable. No information will be gathered from small businesses.
6. Consequences of Not Conducting Collection
The 2004 Census was limited to an inventory of agency functions and personnel counts. The 2007 sample survey form covers a broader range of topics, including salaries and special pay, training and education requirements, computers and information systems, written policies and procedures, emergency preparedness activities, and specialized units. Using a sample allows BJS to cover a broader range of topics in the survey. This data collection will be the only source of national data on law enforcement personnel, budgets, equipment, and policies and procedures. There are no other sources for these data.
If this collection were to be cancelled then no updates to the BJS reports Local Police Departments, 2003 http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/lpd03.htm and Sheriffs’ Offices, 2003 http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/lpd03.htm would be available on the BJS web site. A planned interactive database that would allow for customized queries would not be created, and a planned public use data file at the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data would not be created.
7. Special circumstances that would increase respondent burden
There are no special circumstances that would require a respondent to report more than once, report in less than 30 days, retain records over three years, or in any other foreseeable way increase the respondents burden to provide the requested information.
8. Public Comments and Consultations
BJS meets with police organizations such as the International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Sheriffs’ Association and the Police Executive Research Forum to discuss their information needs. Focus groups are also held where police administrators can provide input about the questions being proposed and suggest new items as well. Academic experts are also consulted. Information needs from other agencies within the Department of Justice (e.g., National Institute of Justice, Office of Community-Oriented Policing Services) are also considered. A content analysis of information requests to BJS since the last survey is also a part of the process. News reports and professional publications are also referenced for any emerging issues that merit consideration. Consultants on recent waves of the survey have included the following points-of-contact as well as others within their organizations and within their memberships, if applicable (this list is not intended to be exhaustive):
Matthew Schieder
Program/Policy Support and Evaluation Division
U.S. Department of Justice, COPS Office
1100 Vermont Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20530
Bruce Kubu
Police Executive Research Forum
1120 Connecticut Ave., NW
Suite 930
Washington, DC 20036
(3) John Firman
International Association of Chiefs of Police
515 North Washington Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(4) John Markovic
International Association of Chiefs of Police
515 North Washington Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(5) Tim Woods
National Sheriffs Association
1450 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(6) Lorie Fridell, Ph.D.
Department of Criminology
University of South Florida
4202 East Fowler Ave
Tampa, FL 33620
9. Provision of Payments or Gifts to Respondents
Not applicable. The Bureau will not provide any payment or gift of any type to respondents. Respondents participate in the survey on a voluntary basis.
10. Assurance of Confidentiality
Respondents will be informed that survey participation is voluntary. The data collected are in the public domain and not subject to confidentiality guarantees. All data, except names of individual respondents, will be made available for public use.
11. Justification for Sensitive Questions
There are no questions of a sensitive nature included in the data collection.
12. Estimate of Respondent Burden
The long-form (CJ-44L) will be sent to approximately 1,000 large law enforcement agencies, and the short-form (CJ-44S) will be sent to a stratified random sample of approximately 2,200 smaller agencies (see Section B - Statistical Methods, below, for greater detail). The average time required for each long-form agency is three hours, and for short-form agencies, two hours. These estimates are based on experience garnered from previous administrations of the LEMAS survey, pre-testing conducted as part of those previous administrations, as well as consideration of the currently proposed instrument. The total respondent burden is estimated at 7,400 hours. Respondents will be asked to respond once. The estimated burden was derived from the previous iteration of the survey, and from review of the proposed information collection instruments.
The survey form, in most cases, will be filled out by one person per respondent, equivalent to the GS-15 / 01 level ($110,363 per year). The cost to the respondent would be about $159.18 per long-form, and $106.12 per short-form. For all respondents combined, the approximate cost would be $392,644.
13. Estimate of Respondents= Cost Burden
This information collection will require only information that is already generated and maintained by the respondents. There is no additional cost to respondents other than the cost of filling out the survey form.
14. Cost to Federal Government
The total cost to the Federal government for this survey is estimated at $386,060, all to be borne by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Office costs are based on 6 months full-time work of a GS-14 / 03 Statistician salary ($100,077 per year) and benefits (33 percent of salary) and indirect costs (20% of salary) of the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Summary of Cost Estimates
Office Costs (BJS)
Salaries $50,039
Benefits (33%) 16,513
Travel 3,000
Equipment and supplies 1,500
Consultants and contracts 5,000
Other costs 0
Indirect costs (20%) 10,008
Subtotal 86,060
Collection costs (grantee) 300,000
Total cost to government $386,060
15. Reasons for Change in Burden
The burden estimate is being reduced by 1,600 hours. This is due primarily to the fact that the most recent data collection conducted under the LEMAS program was the 2004 Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies (form CJ-38), a census of the approximately 18,000 agencies operating in the U.S. The census shares the same OMB clearance number as the sample survey. Since the survey requires fewer burden hours, the existing burden estimate is being reduced. In addition, the estimated burden of 7,400 hours for the survey reflects an overall reduction in the number of questions on both the long and short-form questionnaires.
16. Publication Plans and Schedule
Information collected from law enforcement training academies will be reported in a Bureau of Justice Statistics bulletin. The data will then be made available to the public through the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD), operated by the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR).
The projected schedule for data collection, publication and data release is as follows:
Preparation and pretesting Months 1 - 3
Data collection Months 3 - 8
Data processing/analysis Months 8 - 12
Publication release Month 13
Data release to public Month 13
17. Display of Expiration Date
The expiration date will be shown on the survey form.
18. Exceptions to the Certification Statement
There are no exceptions identified in Item 19, ACertification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions,@ of OMB Form 83-I.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | SUPPORTING STATEMENT |
| Author | lbryant |
| Last Modified By | lbryant |
| File Modified | 2007-11-02 |
| File Created | 2007-11-02 |