[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 234 (Wednesday, December 6, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 62479]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-29650]



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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Information Collection Under Review

    The proposed information collection is published to obtain comments 
from the public and affected agencies. Comments are encouraged and will 
be accepted for ``sixty days'' from the date listed at the top of this 
page in the Federal Register. This process is conducted in accordance 
with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
    This collection covers:

    (1) Type of Information Collection: Revision of a Currently 
Approved Collection
    (2) The title of the form/collection; Supplement on ``Police Use 
of Force'' to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
    (3) The agency form number, if any, and the applicable component 
of the Department sponsoring the collection; Form number: None. 
Sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, United States 
Department of Justice.
    (4) Who will be asked or required to respond, as well as a brief 
abstract; Primary: Individuals or households. This data collection 
will be only a pretest for the purpose of ascertaining the 
feasibility and cost of learning about use of force by law 
enforcement officers through interviews with an existing random 
sample of household members. If the pretest shows this method is 
feasible and cost-effective, data to be collected via the NCVS will 
be only one of several data collection activities that will be 
sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Statistics in response to a 
requirement for an annual statistical report as set forth in section 
210402 of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. 
The draft of the supplement which is being submitted for review will 
be asked of all surveyed participants, whether or not they believe 
they have been the victim of a crime, and will begin by inquiring 
about any contacts with police officers on official duty during the 
previous year. The data collection will, consequently, obtain 
information about contacts such as police providing information to 
citizens, as well as incidents in which police arrested the 
respondent or threatened to use or used physical force on the 
respondent. Because one purpose of the pretest is to obtain accurate 
estimates of the percentage of respondents who will answer more than 
the lead-in screener questions on this supplement, and the burden on 
such respondents, comments are specifically invited at this time on 
issues of the clarity and adequacy of the wording of the questions 
as drafted for exploring issues related to police use of force. 
Copies of the draft data collection instrument named in (2) above 
are available for review by writing to Dr. Chaiken or Mr. Briggs at 
the addresses shown above. The Bureau of Justice Statistics uses 
information it collects in published reports, and for the U.S. 
Congress, the Executive Office of the President, practitioners, 
researchers, and others in the criminal justice community. In the 
case of this pretest, the results will be used primarily in 
determining whether or not to design and undertake data collection 
through the NCVS on the topic of police use of force, and if so to 
design the final data collection instrument.
    (4) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the 
amount of time estimated for an average respondent to respond; and 
12,000 respondents for the pretest during the period April 1996 to 
July 1996, of whom 11,400 are estimated to be eligible for the lead-
in screening questions only (0.0167 hours or 1 minute) and 600 will 
require 0.167 hours, or 10 minutes.
    (5) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated 
with the collection. 290 burden hours for the pretest.

    Request written comments and suggestions from the public and 
affected agencies concerning the proposed collection of information. 
Your comments 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 functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agencies estimate of the burden 
of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of 
the methodology and assumptions used;
    (3) Enhanced 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.

    If you have additional comments or suggestions, please include them 
with your written response. If a copy of the proposed collection 
instrument with instructions is not published in this notice please 
contact the agency representative list below if you wish to receive a 
copy. Contact: Mr. Lawrence A. Greenfield, Telephone: 202-616-3281. 
Bureau of Justice Statistics, United States Department of Justice, Room 
1012, 633 Indiana Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20531.
    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 Dr. Jan M. Chaiken, Director, 
Bureau of Justice Statistics, 633 Indiana Avenue NW, Washington, DC 
20531 or call 202-307-0765,
    If additional information is required contact: Mr. Robert B. 
Briggs, Clearance Officer, United States Department of Justice, Systems 
Policy Staff, Justice Management Division, Suite 850, Washington 
Center, 1001 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20530.

    Dated: November 29, 1995.
Robert B. Briggs,
Department Clearance Officer, United States Department of Justice.
[FR Doc. 95-29650 Filed 12-5-95; 8:45 am]
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