2019-19889. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed eCollection eComments Requested; Revision of a Currently Approved Collection: 2020 Police Public Contact Survey (PPCS)

AGENCY:

Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Justice.

ACTION:

30-Day Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This notice is being published to seek public comments on a change to the survey instrument proposed for the 2020 collection.

DATES:

Comments are encouraged and will be accepted for 30 days until October 16, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

If you have additional comments especially on the estimated public burden or associated response time, suggestions, or need a copy of the proposed information collection instrument with instructions or additional information, please contact Elizabeth Davis, Statistician, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 810 Seventh Street NW, Washington, DC 20531 (email: [e-mail]; telephone: [phone]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected agencies concerning the proposed collection of information are encouraged. Your comments should address one or more of the following four points:

—Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Bureau of Justice Statistics, including whether the information will have practical utility;

—Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

—Evaluate whether and if so how the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected can be enhanced; and

—Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.

Overview of This Information Collection

(1) Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection.

(2) The Title of the Form/Collection: 2020 Police Public Contact Survey.

(3) The agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the Department sponsoring the collection: The form number for the questionnaire is PPCS-1. The applicable component within the Department of Justice is the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in the Office of Justice Programs.

(4) Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as well as a brief abstract: Respondents will be persons 16 years or older living in households located throughout the United States sampled for the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The PPCS will be conducted as a supplement to the NCVS in all sample households for a six (6) month period. The PPCS is typically conducted about every three years, with the last administration occurring in 2018. BJS is conducting the next PPCS one year ahead of schedule, to include an item on how residents reacted during police contact that was not asked in 2018, but was asked in previous iterations of the survey. The PPCS is one component of the BJS effort to fulfill the mandate set forth by the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to collect, evaluate, and publish data on the use of excessive force by law enforcement personnel. The goal of the collection is to report national statistics that provide a better understanding of the types, frequency, and outcomes of contacts between the police and the public, public perceptions of police behavior during the contact, and the conditions under which police force may be threatened or used. BJS plans to publish this information in reports and reference it when responding to queries from the U.S. Congress, Executive Office of the President, the U.S. Supreme Court, state officials, international organizations, researchers, students, the media, and others interested in criminal justice statistics.

(5) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: An estimate of the total number of respondents is 108,806. About 75% of respondents (81,713) will have no police contact and will complete the short interview with an average burden of four minutes. Among the 25% of respondents (27,093) who experienced police contact, the time to ask the detailed questions regarding the nature of the contact is estimated to take an average of 8 minutes. Respondents will be asked to respond to this survey only once during the six-month period. The burden estimate is based on data from the 2018 administration of the PPCS.

(6) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated with the collection: There are an estimated 9,060 total burden hours associated with this collection.

If additional information is required contact: Melody Braswell, Department Clearance Officer, United States Department of Justice, Justice Management Division, Policy and Planning Staff, Two Constitution Square, 145 N Street NE, 3E.405A, Washington, DC 20530.

Dated: September 10, 2019.

Melody Braswell,

Department Clearance Officer for PRA, U.S. Department of Justice.