00-25519. Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request

ACTION:

Notice of information collection under review; extension of a currently approved collection; crime mapping survey.

The Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, has submitted the following information collection request for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Office of Management and Budget approval is being sought for the information collection listed below. This proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register on March 28, 2000 (Volume 65, page 16419), allowing for a 60-day public comment period.

The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comment until November 6, 2000. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.10.

Written comments and/or suggestions regarding the item(s) contained in this notice, especially regarding the estimated public burden and associated response time, should be directed to the Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Department of Justice Desk Officer, Washington, DC 20530. Additionally, comments may be submitted to OMB via facsimile to [phone]. Comments may also be submitted to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Justice Management Division, Information Management and Security Staff, Attention: Department Deputy Clearance Officer, Suite 1220, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20530.

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

(1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the function of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;

(2) 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;

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(4) 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 the Collection

(1) Type of information collection: Extension of a currently approved collection.

(2) The title of the form/collection: Crime Mapping Survey.

(3) The agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the Department sponsoring the collection: Form: None. Office of Research and Evaluation, National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, United States Department of Justice.

(4) Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as well as a brief abstract: Primary: Law enforcement agencies. Other: None. This national survey is designated to determine the extent to which police departments, specifically crime analysts, are using computerized crime mapping. Surveys will be mailed to a randomly selected sample of police departments. The questionnaire will determine the level of crime mapping within departments, both in terms of hardware and software resources, as well as the types of maps that are produced and how they are used. The information collected from this survey will be used to advise the activities of the Crime Mapping Research Center.

(5) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount of time estimated for the average respondent to respond/reply: 2,798 respondents for an average of 33 minutes per response.

(6) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated with the collection: The total burden to complete the nomination is 562.

If additional information is required contact: Ms. Brenda E. Dyer, Deputy Clearance Officer, United States Department of Justice, Information Management and Security Staff, Justice Management Division, Suite 1220, National Place, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20530.

Dated: September 29, 2000.

Brenda E. Dyer,

Department Deputy Clearance Officer, Department of Justice.