Supporting Statement for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions
New Collection
Geophysical Service Providers in Support of Law Enforcement
OMB Control # 1110-xxxx
Part A. Justification
Necessity of Information:
The FBI Laboratory Division seeks to gather information from geophysics professionals on law enforcement use of near surface geophysical methods (such as ground penetrating radar, electrical resistivity, magnetometry) to detect concealed targets as part of a criminal investigation (for example: homicide graves, drugs, or weapons). This questionnaire will ask about: engagement with law enforcement, geophysical methods employed, suspected targets, the environments of the geophysical surveys along with summaries of 1 to 3 geophysical surveys conducted for law enforcement.
In addition, U.S. domestic participants may voluntarily provide contact information for a preliminary list of regional geophysical providers for law enforcement. The responses from the survey will be compiled to better understand the personnel, methodologies, limitations, and law enforcement application of geophysical methods. There are no apparent legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection.
2. Needs and Uses:
The FBI Laboratory Division will have the questionnaire available on FBI.gov for individuals, private sector, federal government, state, local or tribal government. Those completing the questionnaire are personnel from universities, government agencies, instrument manufacturer and private contractors who conduct near surface geophysical investigations in aid of law enforcement. If the participant chooses to provide contact information or affiliation, this information will only be used for potential follow up questions and to account for multiple reports from participants from the same law enforcement organization. Information will be compiled to understand how geophysical methods are being deployed for criminal investigations in attempts to locate suspected targets. All identifying information and institutional affiliations will be restricted to the study’s leaders. Results may be published in a scientific journal and/or law enforcement journal but anonymity of participants will be preserved.
Use of Technology:
This survey will be deployed using the FBI.gov website.
Efforts to Identify Duplication:
We are unaware of any similar surveys on this topic.
5. Methods to Minimize Burden on Small Businesses:
Not Applicable
6. Consequences of Less Frequent Collection:
Applications of the result of this questionnaire may provide a better understanding of geophysical methods and possibly learn more about which methods have been efficient for law enforcement; not conducting this questionnaire could increase costs to law enforcement if there is inefficiency within certain methods.
7. Special Circumstances Influencing Collection:
None of these circumstances apply to this survey.
8. Public Comments and Consultations:
This survey has not been published for public comment.
9. Payment of Gift to Claimants:
There are no gifts or payments to respondents.
10. Assurance of Confidentiality:
Disclosure of contact information of participants is entirely voluntary.
11. Justification for Sensitive Questions:
None of the questions within the survey are sensitive in nature as described above.
12. Estimate of Hour Burden:
Number of respondents -100
Frequency of response - 1
Total annual responses - 1
Minutes per response – 10-15
Annual hour burden – 25
13. Estimate of Cost Burden:
Respondents will not incur any costs other than their time to respond. Respondents will not incur any capital, start up, or system maintenance costs associated with this information collection.
14. Estimated Annualized Costs to Federal Government:
Total Annualized capital/startup costs |
Startup cost component |
$0 |
Total operation and maintenance and purchase of service component |
Creating & maintaining the website, collection, and analysis of responses |
$4,000 |
Total cost |
- |
$4,000 |
15. Reasons for Change in Burden:
This is a new ICR request with no previous burden.
16. Plans for Publication:
If there are sufficient respondents to this survey, then results may be published for a law enforcement audience and scientist audience. Estimated publication would be 2 years from survey distribution date.
17. Expiration Date Approval:
Not applicable.
18. Exceptions to the Certification Statement:
There are no exceptions to the certification statement.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | mnpasquale |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2022-10-13 |