R E V I S E D U P DAT E D T H I R D E D I T I O N 

The COPS Offce 

Editorial and 

Graphics Style 

Manual 

Guide for Authors 

Editors: 

Evelyn E. Browne 

Erin P.T. Canning 

Melissa K. Fox 


 

The opinions contained herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position or 

policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. References to specific agencies, companies, products, or services should 

not be considered an endorsement by the author(s) or the U.S. Department of Justice. Rather, the references are 

illustrations to supplement discussion of the issues. 

The internet references cited in this publication were valid as of the date of publication. Given that URLs and websites 

are in constant flux, neither the author nor the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services can vouch for their 

current validity. 

Recommended citation: 

Browne, Evelyn E., Erin P.T. Canning, and Melissa K. Fox, eds. 2021. The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style 

Manual: Guide for Authors. 3rd ed. Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. 

First edition 2011 

Second edition 2017; revised 2018; revised 2019 

Third edition 2021; revised 2022; updated 2023 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contents

Letter from the COPS Office ...................................................................................................

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v

Introduction 1

The Publishing Process 3

Development 3

Refinement 3

Production 5

Preparing Manuscript Documents for Submission...................................................................

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7

General copy requirements 7

Figures, tables, and photos 8

Organization of content 10

Front matter 10

Back matter 10

Required pages 11

Disclaimer 11

About the COPS Office 11

Letter from the COPS Office director and other agencies’ letters 11

Manuscript approval 11

References and Documentation 13

About footnotes, endnotes, and bibliographies 13

About text citations and reference lists 14

How to cite illustrative items, floating quotes, sidebars, and tables 15

Examples of full citations...........................................................................................................

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Books and published reports 16

Journal articles and other periodicals 17

Newspaper or magazine articles 17

Series and multivolumes 18

Unpublished documents 19

Websites or web pages 20

Social media 21

Authors, editors, and translators 21

Permissions and credits 23

Design and Production .........................................................................................................

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25

Program format 25

Copyright and COPS Office publications 25

508 compliance 25

Commonly Confused Words 27

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The Big Grammar and Usage List ..........................................................................................

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33 

A 33 

B 36 

C 38 

D 41 

E 42 

F 43 

G 44 

H 44 

I 45 

J 46 

K 47 

L 47 

M 48 

N 48 

O 50 

P 50 

Q 53 

R 53 

S 54 

T 56 

U 57 

V 57 

W 58 

X 58 

Y 58 

Abbreviations 59 

About the COPS Office 62 

iv The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Letter from the COPS Office 

Colleagues: 

The COPS Office is proud to present the latest installment of The COPS Office Editorial and 

Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors. This up-to-date third edition features writing, editing, 

citation, and layout guidance for COPS Office publications and related materials. 

The purpose of a style manual for any organization is to choose rules of grammar and word 

usage based on recognized sources to establish consistency across the organization for all 

written and published material. While style, grammar, and language don’t vary according to 

personal opinion, they do evolve, as has our style manual. In addition to new, in-depth citation 

examples and updated grammar lists, we’ve also redesigned the style manual to be a more 

complete and invaluable resource for your writing needs and hope it will help you to produce a 

quality publication. 

The COPS Office has distributed more than 8.57 million topic-specific publications, training 

curricula, white papers, and resource CDs and flash drives on virtually every policing and public 

safety topic. We’ve distributed these resources to practitioners, community members and 

leaders, and other stakeholders to help them improve their community policing efforts. As such, 

we have a long history of producing valuable resources, and this style manual is intended to help 

authors of publications and resources developed or funded by the COPS Office publish products 

of equally high quality. 

Sincerely, 

Robert E. Chapman 

Deputy Director, Community Policing Advancement 

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 

v 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction 

The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors is the primary writing, 

editing, and graphics style reference for COPS Office publications and related materials (e.g., 

correspondence, reports, and forms). 

The COPS Office wants to ensure all internal documents, official written correspondence, other 

materials distributed externally, and publications developed or funded by the COPS Office are 

consistent with good writing practices and standards, have continuity in thought and 

organization, and adhere to the approved COPS Office editorial style as set herein. This manual 

will aid you in producing quality products. 

The guidelines herein are based on The Chicago Manual of Style1 (17th edition) and the U.S. 

Government Printing Office Style Manual: An Official Guide to the Form and Style of Federal 

Government Printing2 (2016 edition), with exceptions reflecting our own common use. “The Big 

Grammar and Usage List”—an A-to-Z guide on capitalization, abbreviation, spelling, numerals, 

usage, and more—begins on page 33. Use it as you would a dictionary. 

If this manual does not cover an editorial question, use The Chicago Manual of Style as your next 

reference and then the GPO Style Manual. If neither answers a style question, use the latest 

edition of The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual3 as your fourth reference. 

For correct spelling, definitions, and word division, use the most recent edition of MerriamWebster’s Collegiate Dictionary.

4 For synonyms and antonyms, you can access Thesaurus.com to 

help you find and use the appropriate words to express your thoughts. 

For legal citations, use the latest edition of The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation.

5 

1. The Chicago Manual of Style is available online by paid annual subscription at 

https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html. However, the website also offers the free “ChicagoStyle Citation Quick Guide,” https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. 

2. See U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 

2016), https://www.govinfo.gov/collection/gpo-stylemanual?path=/GPO/U.S.%20Government%20Publishing%20Office%20Style%20Manual. 

3. The Associated Press Stylebook is available online by paid annual subscription at 

https://www.apstylebook.com. 

4. See “Merriam-Webster,” https://www.merriam-webster.com. 

5. See “The Bluebook,” https://www.legalbluebook.com. 

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The Publishing Process

Manuscripts should be drafted in Microsoft Word, if possible, or in another word processing

platform—not in a collaborative environment like Google Docs. Once the author has finished

drafting the manuscript and submitted it to the project manager (PM), the normal timeline from

review to publication is approximately three months. The phases are as follows:

Development

1. PM review. The PM reviews the manuscript to ensure that it meets the goals of the award

and project; it addresses the appropriate topic and audience, etc.; and names are correctly

spelled and statistics accurately represented Afterward, the PM works with the author to

address any questions or suggestions.

2. Peer review (~4 weeks). After approving the manuscript, the PM submits it to three subject

matter experts (SME), who normally include a senior-level practitioner, a line-level

practitioner, and an applied academic with practical experience in the given topic. The COPS

Office asks all peer reviewers to respond to a standard set of questions; however, the PM

seeks the author’s input to include any additional questions. EXCEPTIONS: Reports resulting

from meetings or manuscripts collaboratively written by SMEs do not require peer review.

3. Author response to peer review. After receiving the peer review comments, the PM reviews

and forwards any pertinent comments to the author, who has the opportunity to accept any

suggested changes or provide responses. Once again, the PM works with the author until

both parties find the manuscript acceptable.

Refinement

4. Editing (~3–4 weeks). After approving the necessary changes, the PM submits the

manuscript for editing. The COPS Office editors review the manuscript for grammar,

consistency, and comprehension; check for correct spelling of names and representation of

statistics; and ensure the format follows the COPS Office Style Manual. The two-week time

frame depends on workflow and the manuscript’s page count.

Note: Authors and PMs should familiarize themselves with “References and

Documentation” on page 13.

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5. PM/author’s editorial review. After reviewing the edits, the PM forwards the manuscript to

the author for review and approval. (Conversion at this stage to collaborative environments

such as Google Docs causes the document format not to follow the COPS Office Style

Manual; it is important to keep the manuscript in a word processing platform throughout

the process.) Again the PM works with the author until both, plus the lead editor, deem the

final manuscript acceptable. This process can take anywhere from one week to several

months, depending on length and priority.

6. Vetting (~2 weeks). Once the author/PM and editor have agreed on the final manuscript,

the PM must submit the manuscript to internal reviewers or, if the manuscript references

law enforcement or other agencies, to other divisions of the U.S. Department of Justice.

When the reviewers have finished the vetting process, the PM and author review any

resulting changes and resubmit necessary changes to editing for review.

4 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Production

7. Layout (~4 weeks). After the peer review, editing, and vetting processes, the editor submits

the final manuscript to the graphic designers for layout. The designers work with the PM to

ensure the design is appropriate for the audience and topic.

8. PM and author’s layout review. The PM sends the laid-out publication to the author, who at

this point reviews only the layout and scans for egregious errors. As with all previous steps,

the PM works with the author and the graphic designer to ensure an appealing package,

though please note that the COPS Office maintains final say on use of graphics style, cover

art, layout choices, etc.

Note: The authors and PMs should familiarize themselves with the “General copy

requirements” on page 7. See also “Figures, tables, and photos” on page 8.

9. Publication (~4 weeks). After the PM sends the designers an email confirming that both the

PM and author approve the final layout, the designers submit the files for publication,

whether for print or posting to the web. Authors receive a hard copy (if applicable) and link

to the publication.

a. Print publications. The COPS Office works with a contracted printer to review, correct,

and approve proofs before the office accepts shipment of the hard copies.

b. Online publications. The COPS Office publishes all of its publications electronically as

PDFs. Before the online version appears in the office’s Resource Center, the office

makes the PDF 508 conformant so that people with disabilities can access it.

Other COPS Office guidelines covering project development address the peer review and vetting

processes in detail. If authors have any questions or concerns, they should contact their

assigned PM.

The Publishing Process 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preparing Manuscript Documents for Submission 

Authors must prepare manuscripts according to certain Authors must prepare 

manuscripts according 

to certain standards to 

help the COPS Office 

Publishing & Creative 

Resources group ensure 

the author’s intent. 

standards to help the COPS Office Publishing & Creative 

Resource group ensure the authors’ intent, save time in 

development, and decrease the number of reviews. 

The COPS Office editor reviews and edits all submitted 

manuscripts to bring them into compliance with The 

COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide 

for Authors (3rd edition), which is included in every 

award packet from the COPS Office. Please familiarize 

yourself with this manual and use it for guidance when 

preparing written materials for all COPS Office projects. 

As stated in the introduction, the COPS Office style manual is based primarily on the latest 

edition of The Chicago Manual of Style and, when necessary, the GPO Style Manual and 

The AP Stylebook. 

General copy requirements 

Before submitting manuscripts for editing, authors should comply with the following: 

1. Save the manuscript in Microsoft Word: Turn off “Track Changes” and accept 

all revisions. 

2. Provide complete citations for all quotations and paraphrased passages, including 

statistics. All sources must be properly cited; providing only a URL is not sufficient. 

See “References and Documentation” on page 13. 

3. Ensure endnotes, footnotes, text citations, and references are formatted consistently. 

See “References and Documentation” on page 13. 

4. Include a table of contents to make the hierarchy for all chapters and subsections clear. 

5. Number, title, source, and cross-reference to all illustrative items (figures, charts, etc.). 

See “Figures, tables, and photos” on page 8. 

6. Verify all URL addresses in the manuscript still work. 

If able, authors should also do the following: 

1. Use a few of Word’s preset style tags to set the hierarchy of the manuscript. Basic style 

tags include the following: Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, etc.; Body Text; List 

Number; and List Bullet. 

2. All notes should be dynamic: i.e., the numbered references that appear in the 

main body of text link to where they appear at the bottom of the page or end of 

the manuscript. 

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Figures, tables, and photos 

Author guidelines for incorporating these types of illustrative items are as follows: 

1. Identification. The author must number figures (i.e., photos discussed in the body of 

text, charts, and graphs) sequentially. Tables must be numbered separately from figures. 

The number should appear above each figure or table, followed by a descriptive title 

using sentence case. (See also number 4, “Captions,” within this list.) 

Example: Figure 1. Components of multiple casualty violence prevention 

Example: Table 7.3. Agencies participating in site visits 

2. Text cross-reference. The author must reference all numbered figures and tables in the 

main body of text. Example: (See figure 3.) 

3. Placement. The author should place figures and tables in the manuscript’s main body 

of text or in a separate document. Regardless of placement, each figure and table still 

requires an identifying number and title above it. 

a. If placed in the manuscript, the figure or table should be placed after it is 

mentioned in text and as near as possible. 

b. If the authors provide the figure or table in a separate document or as separate 

files, the authors should include instructions in brackets in the manuscript, 

indicating where the figure or table should ideally appear. 

Example: [Insert figure # about here.] 

c. If the figure or table appears in an appendix, the author can add an “A” to the 

identifying number. Example: Table A1. Agencies participating in site visits 

4. Captions. Photos that are included for visual interest to depict a specific person, place, 

item, or event but that are not discussed in the main body of text (see also number 1, 

“Identification,” within this list) must include a caption, which should be placed beneath 

the photo and use sentence case. If all the captions are fragments, then they should not 

conclude with a period. However, if some captions are fragments and some are 

complete sentences, then all should conclude with a period for the sake of consistency, 

though changing the fragmented captions into complete sentences would be preferable. 

Example: Detective Smith, ABC (Washington) Police Department, spoke with local 

community members about youth safety on September 16, 2016. 

Example: Detective Smith, ABC (Washington) Police Department, speaking with local 

community members about youth safety on September 16, 2016 

8 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Permissions and credits. The author is responsible for 

obtaining these from the copyright holder of all The author 

is responsible 

for obtaining 

permissions 

and credits. 

figures, tables, photos, etc. that the author wishes to 

use in the publication. The author should place the 

appropriate amount of information beneath each 

element (see “References and Documentation” on 

page 13), use sentence case, and not conclude with a 

period. Example: Source: Adapted from Carlson 2012 

Note: Begin requesting permission as early as possible—it can take a long time 

(sometimes months). Submit the permissions and credits for each copyrighted item to 

the COPS Office prior to vetting. See “Permissions and credits” on page 23. 

6. Format and resolution. Submitting editable charts, graphs, tables, etc. within the 

manuscript is preferable. If these items are available only as images, then submit them 

in the following formats (also with editable text): .eps and .ai. For photos, the COPS 

Office uses the following formats: .tif, .eps, .ai, and .psd. 

Raster images should be no less than a printing resolution of 300 dpi. Note: Even if the 

intention of a publication is that it be web only, high resolution is still desirable, as web 

users may print the publication or the COPS Office may print it at a later date. 

Images placed in Microsoft Word documents are not desirable. Unless the author has 

already collected or packaged images with an InDesign file, the author should provide 

the image files in their original form. If transmitted via email or FTP, the author can 

bundle them in a zipped file. 

When the manuscript is ready for layout (see “The Publishing Process” on page 3), COPS Office 

graphic designers recreate or design graphs and charts to be in line with COPS Office graphic 

standards and to be consistent with the overall design of the publication (see figure 1 on 

page 10). In such cases, graphics embedded in Microsoft Word are acceptable only for 

visual guidance. 

COPS Office graphic designers try to place these illustrative items on the same page where they 

are cross-referenced in the body of text or on the page facing the cross-reference. If the size or 

nature of a particular item makes that impossible, the designers place it on a following page but 

as close as possible. In addition, the text cross-reference then includes the page number to the 

illustrative item. Example: (See figure 8 on page #.) 

If the author submits a manuscript that is not wholly in compliance with these specifications, the 

COPS Office editor notifies the PM. The author and PM then work together to bring the 

manuscript into compliance upon agreement with the editor. 

Preparing Manuscript Documents for Submission 9 
Figure 1. Example of illustrative items redesigned for consistency 

Organization of content 

Depending on what sections a manuscript includes, these sections should appear in the 

following order: 

Front matter 

1. Title page 

2. Disclaimer page 

a. Disclaimer 

b. Author’s copyright information 

c. Recommended citation 

d. Year of publication 

3. (Table of) Contents 

4. Letter from the COPS Office director 

5. Letters from other organizational heads 

6. Foreword 

7. Preface 

8. Acknowledgments 

9. Introduction 

10. Main copy/text 

Back matter 

1. Appendices 

2. Abbreviations 

3. Glossary 

4. Notes 

5. Bibliography or references 

6. About the authors 

7. About other organizations 

8. About the COPS Office 

10 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Required pages 

Disclaimer 

The COPS Office editor adds the correct disclaimer language to the copyright page of the 

manuscript. The disclaimer typically includes the grant or cooperative agreement number, 

which the COPS Office project manager provides the editor. 

The editor also adds a statement regarding the viability of any internet references, a recommended citation, and the year of publication. 

About the COPS Office 

Most publications have a page designated for “About the COPS Office.” The COPS Office editors 

are responsible for supplying this page in the manuscript, monitoring updates, and making sure 

the most recent version is used. 

Letter from the COPS Office director and other agencies’ letters 

Each publication should include a letter from the director of the COPS Office, which the 

publication’s editor is responsible for drafting. 

For all letters, the format of the signature should be as follows: the person’s name on the first 

line; their position or title on the second line; and the complete name of the company, division, 

or institution on the final line (or lines). Example: 

First and Last Name 

Director 

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 

The look of the letters will flow with the design of each publication rather than having them 

appear like an actual letter with the office’s letterhead. 

Manuscript approval 

The COPS Office editor reviews and edits the compliant manuscript and may consult with the 

COPS Office PM, who in turn may consult with the authors. When the PM and authors review 

the edited manuscript, they are to do the following: 

• Use Track Changes to record all new edits/changes to the manuscript. (Doing so 

speeds up the editor’s next review.) 

• Accept the editor’s changes that the PM/author agrees with. 

Preparing Manuscript Documents for Submission 11 
 

 

 

 

• Comment on the editor’s changes that the PM/author disagrees with; don’t delete or 

reject them. Note: This dialogue between the author/PM and editor can help to reveal 

the missing link between what the author is trying to convey and what they are (or are 

not) actually saying. 

• Reply to all of the editor’s questions, and supply any missing elements or text. 

Following this process helps to speed up the editor’s next review, maintain version control, and 

keep the project to its deadline. 

12 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References and Documentation Authors must 

provide citations 

(and sometimes 

permissions) 

for . . . material that 

originated from 

another source. 

Authors must provide citations (and sometimes permissions) 

for quotations or paraphrased material that originated from 

another source. We ask that our grantees and authors use 

the following citation formats when preparing documents 

for the COPS Office and consult the latest edition of The 

Chicago Manual of Style for additional information. 

Note: The author is responsible for making sure all 

references are accurate and up to date. The COPS Office 

editor edits only for style and completeness, not accuracy. 

About footnotes, endnotes, and bibliographies 

Footnotes provide readers with immediate knowledge of the sources mentioned in the body of 

text and any supporting information. Endnotes, which can appear at the end of the publication 

or the end of each chapter, are suited for publications with many sources that would otherwise 

crowd the bottom of a publication if presented as footnotes. The COPS Office editor determines 

which type of note is appropriate. 

A bibliography includes sources cited throughout the publication and may include additional 

resources for further reading. To coincide with notes, the bibliography is alphabetized by the 

author’s last name and the publication’s title. 

For manuscripts that use notes but no bibliography, the author must provide the full citation 

(author, title, publisher, year, etc.) upon first mention (see the “Examples” section on page 15). 

After first mention, use the shortened form of the citation (never use ibid.): i.e., include only the 

author’s last name, approximately four key words of the title, the page numbers being 

referenced, and in parentheses the number of the original note that provides the entire citation. 

Example: Meares, “Legitimacy of Police,” 654 (see note 23). 

If the manuscript provides a bibliography that includes all cited sources, then the notes should 

appear in only their shortened form and not include any cross-references. Example: 

Bibliography. Braga, Anthony A., David M. Kennedy, Elin J. Waring, and 

Anne M. Piehl. “Problem-Oriented Policing, Deterrence, and Youth 

Violence: An Evaluation of Boston’s Operation Ceasefire.” Journal of 

Research in Crime and Delinquency 38 (August 2001): 195–226. 

https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0022427801038003001. 

Shortened note. Braga et al., “Problem-Oriented Policing, Deterrence, 

and Youth Violence,” 195–226. 

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Do not use Word’s built-in Insert Citation or automated Do not use 

Word’s built-in 

Insert Citation 

or automated 

bibliography 

functions. 

bibliography functions. 

Notes’ reference numbers that appear in the body of text follow 

punctuation marks except for the dash. If a single note includes 

several citations, separate each citation with a semicolon. The 

order of the citations can be based on importance, be 

alphabetical, or be arranged according to year. Example: Braga 

et al., “Problem-Oriented Policing, Deterrence, and Youth 

Violence,” 195–226; Meares, “Legitimacy of Police,” 654. 

Endnotes always begin with Arabic numerals. Footnotes are usually at the bottom of the page 

and should be set up using Word’s built-in footnote feature. Footnotes should begin with Arabic 

numerals; however, if a document includes both endnotes and footnotes, the footnotes should 

begin with either Roman numerals or symbols, and the editor will determine which is 

appropriate. 

Pull quotes, standalone quotes, sidebars, tables, and other copy outside the normal flow of body 

text cannot be footnoted to the bottom of the page (see the next section). 

About text citations and reference lists 

Enclosed in parentheses, text citations comprise the author’s last name and the year of the 

publication. Author-date text citations, used mostly in academic and other research-heavy 

publications, refer readers to an reference list at the end of the publication. This list includes all 

books and other forms of documentation cited throughout the publication and may include 

additional resources for further reading. To coincide with the author-date style, the reference 

list is organized by the author’s last name and the year of publication. 

Text citations must agree exactly, in both name and date, with the corresponding entries in the 

reference list; every text citation must have an entry in the complete reference list. 

Do not include a comma before the year of publication. For text citations with more than three 

authors, provide only the first name followed by et al. Examples: 

(Jones 2006) 

(COPS Office 2013) 

(Cohen and Ludwig 2003) 

(Patterson, Chung, and Swan 2012) 

(Braga et al. 2001) 

14 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to cite illustrative items, floating quotes, sidebars, and tables 

Illustrative items, floating quotes, sidebars, tables, and other copy outside the normal flow of 

body text cannot use Word’s built-in footnote or endnote feature. 

Illustrative items (figures, charts, photos, etc.). Source lines, captions, and discursive notes 

should be placed directly below the item (see also “Figures, tables, and photos” on page 8; 

“Permissions and credits” on page 23). 

Floating quotes (i.e., pull and standalone quotes). If the quote is not pulled directly from the 

body text, then an attribution line must follow the quote and include at least the speaker’s 

name, job title, and employer. Attribution lines do not contain full citations; however, the 

attribution line can also include when and where the speaker made the remarks or the title of 

the pub in which the quote originated. 

Sidebars and tables. These footnotes must appear immediately below their associated sidebars 

and tables and must be referenced using symbols in the following sequence: * † ‡ §. If a page 

has more than four symbols, double the sequence: ** †† ‡‡ §§. For tables, footnotes appear 

after any notes (such as how to read the data) and a source line. 

Examples of full citations 

In the following examples, pay special attention to punctuation— Pay special 

attention to 

punctuation— 

periods, 

commas, order 

of names, etc. 

periods, commas, order of names, etc. Here are some general rules 

that apply to both references and notes: 

• Author names. Reference lists are arranged alphabetically by 

authors’ last names; therefore, invert the name of the first 

author, giving the last name first. All other author names 

appear in normal order with commas separating each. In 

notes, however, all authors’ names appear in normal order. 

(See also “Authors, editors, and translators” on page 21.) 

• Titles. For all, use initial caps except for prepositions 

and articles. 

• Cities and states. When the city is not well known, include the state in the publisher’s 

information (e.g., Livonia, MI; Byram, NJ). Use postal abbreviations without periods (e.g., CA, 

DC, TX, and IL). 

• Catalog numbers. If available, provide the NCJ number (National Criminal Justice Resource 

Service catalog number) at the end of a citation, before the URL or DOI. 

• URLs and DOIs. When available, provide one or the other at the end of the citation. 

The examples that follow are provided in three formats: N = note, B = bibliography, and 

R = reference. 

References and Documentation 15 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Books and published reports 

These types of citations include the following basic information: the name of the author(s); 

the title of the publication; the year of publication; and the city, state, and name of the 

publisher. The order of this information depends on the type of citation: i.e., note, 

bibliography, or reference. 

N: 1. David M. Kennedy, Deterrence and Crime Prevention: Reconsidering the Prospect 

of Sanction (New York: Routledge, 2008). 

B: Kennedy, David M. Deterrence and Crime Prevention: Reconsidering the Prospect of 

Sanction. New York: Routledge, 2008. 

R: Kennedy, David M. 2008. Deterrence and Crime Prevention: Reconsidering the Prospect 

of Sanction. New York: Routledge. 

When citing a specific chapter or other section within a book, enclose it in quotation marks, and 

place it just before the book’s title. When a separate author has written an individual chapter, 

place the names of the editors associated with the larger work (meaning the book as a whole) 

after the book’s title. 

N: 3. Anne M. Piehl and Stefan F. LoBuglio, “Does Supervision Matter?” in Prisoner Reentry 

and Crime in America, eds. Jeremy Travis and Christy Visher (New York: Cambridge 

University Press, n.d.), 105–138. 

B: Piehl, Anne M., and Stefan F. LoBuglio. “Does Supervision Matter?” In Prisoner Reentry 

and Crime in America, edited by Jeremy Travis and Christy Visher, 105–138. New 

York: Cambridge University Press, n.d. 

R: Piehl, Anne M., and Stefan F. LoBuglio. n.d. “Does Supervision Matter?” In Prisoner 

Reentry and Crime in America, edited by Jeremy Travis and Christy Visher, 105–138. 

New York: Cambridge University Press. 

When citing electronic books, include the format as well as the chapter number or section title 

instead of a page number. 

N: 14. Kelly Jacobson, Magical: An Anthology of Fantasy, Fairy Tales, and Other Magical 

Fiction (self-pub., Amazon Digital Services, 2014), chap. 2, Kindle. 

B: Jacobson, Kelly. Magical: An Anthology of Fantasy, Fairy Tales, and Other Magical 

Fiction. Self-published, Amazon Digital Services, 2014. Kindle. 

R: Jacobson, Kelly. 2014. Magical: An Anthology of Fantasy, Fairy Tales, and Other Magical 

Fiction. Self-published, Amazon Digital Services. Kindle. 

16 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Journal articles and other periodicals 

Do not separate the title of the periodical and the volume number with a comma. Note the 

colon after the issue number in parentheses and the en dash between the page numbers. 

If the citation provides a season or month instead of an issue number, it appears after the 

volume number and enclosed in the parentheses. Otherwise, whether the issue number appears 

in parentheses depends on the type of citation. 

N: 23. Tracey Meares, “The Legitimacy of Police among Young African-American Men,” 

Marquette Law Review 92, no. 4 (2009): 651–666. 

24. Anthony A. Braga et al., “Problem-Oriented Policing, Deterrence, and Youth 

Violence: An Evaluation of Boston’s Operation Ceasefire,” Journal of Research in Crime 

and Delinquency 38 (August 2001): 195–226, 

https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0022427801038003001. 

B: Meares, Tracey. “The Legitimacy of Police among Young African-American Men.” 

Marquette Law Review 92, no. 4 (2009): 651–666. 

Braga, Anthony A., David M. Kennedy, Elin J. Waring, and Anne M. Piehl. “ProblemOriented Policing, Deterrence, and Youth Violence: An Evaluation of Boston’s 

Operation Ceasefire.” Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 38 (August 

2001): 195–226. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0022427801038003001. 

R: Meares, Tracey. 2009. “The Legitimacy of Police among Young African-American Men.” 

Marquette Law Review 92(4): 651–666. 

Braga, Anthony A., David M. Kennedy, Elin J. Waring, and Anne M. Piehl. 2001. 

“Problem-Oriented Policing, Deterrence, and Youth Violence: An Evaluation of 

Boston’s Operation Ceasefire.” Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 38 

(August): 195–226. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0022427801038003001. 

Newspaper or magazine articles 

Even if the magazine has an issue and volume number, use only the date. Note the comma 

between the news source and the date. 

N: 44. Andy Dehnart, “Beyond Scared Straight’s Real-Life Controversy,” The Daily Beast, 

July 13, 2017, https://www.thedailybeast.com/beyond-scared-straights-real-lifecontroversy. 

45. Justin Blum and Yolanda Woodlee, “Trying To Give Kids a Good Scare,” Washington 

Post, June 3, 2001, C01, 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2001/06/03/trying-to-give-kids-agood-scare/1b435eec-407c-4f14-900d-fe96575ac003/. 

References and Documentation 17 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B: Blum, Justin, and Yolanda Woodlee. “Trying To Give Kids a Good Scare.” Washington 

Post, June 3, 2001, C01. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2001/06/03/trying-to-give-kids-agood-scare/1b435eec-407c-4f14-900d-fe96575ac003/. 

R: Dehnart, Andy. 2017. “Beyond Scared Straight’s Real-Life Controversy.” The Daily 

Beast, July 13, 2017. 

https://www.thedailybeast.com/beyond-scared-straights-real-life-controversy. 

Series and multivolumes 

When citing a publication that exits within a series (indefinite number of volumes) or 

multivolume (planned number of volumes), the series or multivolume title appears just after the 

individual publication’s, separated by either a period (for references and bibliographies) or 

comma (for notes). While individual publication titles are italicized, series and multivolume titles 

are not, unless only the entire multivolume is being cited (see example note 91 below). 

N: 89. Christy A. Visher, Pretrial Drug Testing, Research in Brief (Washington, DC: 

National Institute of Justice, 1992), 

https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/pretrial-drug-testing. 

90. Marcus Felson, “The Process of Co-Offending,” in Theory for Practice in Situational 

Crime Prevention, eds. Martha Smith and Derek B. Cornish, vol. 16 of Crime Prevention 

Studies (Monsey, NY: Criminal Justice Press, 2003). 

https://popcenter.asu.edu/content/crime-prevention-studies-volume-16-volume-16. 

91. Crime Prevention Research Review (Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented 

Policing Services, 2007–2012), 12 vols. 

B: Visher, Christy A. Pretrial Drug Testing. Research in Brief. Washington, DC: National 

Institute of Justice, 1992. 

https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/pretrial-drug-testing. 

Felson, Marcus. “The Process of Co-Offending.” In Theory for Practice in Situational 

Crime Prevention, eds. Martha Smith and Derek B. Cornish. Crime Prevention 

Studies, vol. 16. Monsey, NY: Criminal Justice Press, 2003. 

https://popcenter.asu.edu/content/crime-prevention-studies-volume-16-volume16. 

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, ed. Crime Prevention Research 

Review, 12 vols. Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 

2007–2012. 

18 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

R: Visher, Christy A. 1992. Pretrial Drug Testing. Research in Brief. Washington, 

DC: National Institute of Justice. NCJ 137057. 

https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/pretrial-drug-testing. 

Patterson, George T., Irene W. Chung, and Philip G. Swan. 2012. Effects of Stress 

Management Training on Physiological, Psychological, and Behavioral Outcomes 

among Police Officers and Recruits. No. 8 of Crime Prevention Research Review. 

Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. 

https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-P264. 

COPS Office (Office of Community Oriented Policing Services), ed. Crime Prevention 

Research Review, 12 vols. Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing 

Services, 2007–2012. 

Unpublished documents 

The name of the sponsoring organization or conference at which the document was presented 

takes the place of the traditional publisher’s information, with the city, state, month, day, and 

year of the presentation included if available. 

N: 100. Dina R. Rose, “A Thug in Jail Can’t Shoot Your Sister: Incarceration and Social 

Capital,” paper presented to the American Sociological Association, New York, 

August 12, 2008. 

102. David Dykes Cook, “Effects of a Non-Confrontational Prisoner-Run Juvenile 

Delinquency Deterrence Program,” PhD diss., Department of Psychology, Mississippi 

State University, 1990. 

B: Rose, Dina R. “A Thug in Jail Can’t Shoot Your Sister: Incarceration and Social Capital.” 

Paper presented to the American Sociological Association, New York, August 12, 

2008. 

Cook, David Dykes. “Effects of a Non-Confrontational Prisoner-Run Juvenile Delinquency 

Deterrence Program.” PhD diss., Department of Psychology, Mississippi State 

University, 1990. 

R: Rose, Dina R. 2008. “A Thug in Jail Can’t Shoot Your Sister: Incarceration and Social 

Capital.” Paper presented to the American Sociological Association, New York, 

August 12, 2008. 

Cook, David Dykes. 1990. “Effects of a Non-Confrontational Prisoner-Run Juvenile 

Delinquency Deterrence Program.” PhD dissertation, Department of Psychology, 

Mississippi State University. 

References and Documentation 19 
 

Websites or web pages

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First, URLs or, preferably, DOIs should, where possible, take users not directly to the cited

source but to the homepage that hosts the source. Convert DOIs into URLs by beginning with

https://doi.org/ and then adding the DOI number (and make sure the URL works correctly): e.g.,

doi:10.4073/csr.2013.1 becomes https://doi.org/10.4073/csr.2013.1.

Second, web pages usually do not have an author; therefore, the owner of the website is both

the author and publisher. In such instances, references, which depend on the author-date

system, provide the author and do not need to repeat the publisher. Conversely, notes should

give the title of the website or web page first and then identify the publisher. (See also “Same

author and publisher” on page 22.)

Web pages that have a publication or last modified date usually place this information at the

bottom. However, if the web page is continuously updated and does not provide a publication

or last modified date, then the citation should include an accessed date before the URL, and use

n.d. in place of the year of publication for references.

N: 112. “Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide,” Chicago Manual of Style, accessed September

27, 2021, https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html.

113. “Individuals with Mental Illness,” Your Journey, National Alliance on Mental

Illness, accessed September 27, 2021,

https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Individuals-with-Mental-Illness.

114. “Community Policing,” Wikipedia, last modified September 27, 2021,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_policing.

B: Chicago Manual of Style. “Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide.” Accessed September 27,

2021. https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html.

National Alliance on Mental Illness. “Individuals with Mental Illness.” Your

Journey. Accessed September 27, 2021.

https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Individuals-with-Mental-Illness.

Wikipedia. “Community Policing.” Last modified September 27, 2021.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_policing.

R: Chicago Manual of Style. n.d. “Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide.” Accessed September

27, 2021. https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html.

National Alliance on Mental Illness. n.d. “Individuals with Mental Illness.” Your

Journey. Accessed September 27, 2021.

https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Individuals-with-Mental-Illness.

Wikipedia. n.d. “Community Policing.” Last modified September 27, 2021.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_policing.

20 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Social media 

Social media content can usually be cited in the body of text rather than in a note, bibliography, 

or reference list. However, the examples below also include formal citations for when they are 

required. When the post must take the place of a formal title, use the first 160 characters. 

Text example: 

The NYPD successfully retrieved the stolen comic books and shared the good news via 

Twitter: “You’re welcome Spider-Man & Wolverine. Great work by @NYPD72Pct 

detectives” (@NYPDnews, September 20, 2017). 

N: 115. New York City Police Department (@NYPDnews), “You’re welcome Spider-Man & 

Wolverine. Great work by @NYPD72Pct detectives for making an arrest & 

recovering rare comic books,” Twitter, September 20, 2017, 

https://twitter.com/NYPDnews/status/910477467835617280. 

116. Not In Our Town, “Not In Our Town: Stop Hate. Together,” YouTube, November 15, 

2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4Y9r6Em3VM. 

B: New York City Police Department (@NYPDnews). “You’re welcome Spider-Man & 

Wolverine. Great work by @NYPD72Pct detectives for making an arrest & 

recovering rare comic books.” Twitter, September 20, 2017. 

https://twitter.com/NYPDnews/status/910477467835617280. 

Not In Our Town. “Not In Our Town: Stop Hate. Together.” YouTube, November 15, 

2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4Y9r6Em3VM. 

R: New York City Police Department (@NYPDnews). 2017. “You’re welcome Spider-Man & 

Wolverine. Great work by @NYPD72Pct detectives for making an arrest & 

recovering rare comic books.” Twitter, September 20, 2017. 

https://twitter.com/NYPDnews/status/910477467835617280. 

Not In Our Town. 2016. “Not In Our Town: Stop Hate. Together.” YouTube, November 

15, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4Y9r6Em3VM. 

Authors, editors, and translators 

More than one author 

In references and bibliographies, the first author’s name is inverted, providing the last name 

first; all other author names appear in normal order with commas separating each. List up to 10 

authors; if an entry has more than 10 authors, list only seven and use et al. for the rest. 

References and Documentation 21 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In notes, all names appear in normal order. List up to three authors; if a work has more than

three authors, only the first author’s name appears in full, followed by et al.

N: 120. David Weisburd et al., “Does Crime Just Move Around the Corner? A Controlled

Study of Spatial Displacement and Diffusion of Crime Control Benefits,” Criminology

44, no. 3 (2006): 549–592, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-9125.2006.00057.x.

B: Weisburd, David, Laura Wyckoff, Justin Ready, John Eck, Joshua Hinkle, and Francis

Gajewski. “Does Crime Just Move Around the Corner? A Controlled Study of Spatial

Displacement and Diffusion of Crime Control Benefits.” Criminology 44, no. 3 (2006):

549–592. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-9125.2006.00057.x.

R: Weisburd, David, Laura Wyckoff, Justin Ready, John Eck, Joshua Hinkle, and Francis

Gajewski. 2006. “Does Crime Just Move Around the Corner? A Controlled Study of

Spatial Displacement and Diffusion of Crime Control Benefits.” Criminology 44(3):

549–592. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-9125.2006.00057.x.

Only editors or translators

When a publication does not identify an author, the editors or translators assume the author’s

position in the citation.

N: 123. Jay Rubin, trans., The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (New York: Vintage Books, 1998).

B: Rubin, Jay, trans. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. New York: Vintage Books, 1998.

R: Rubin, Jay, trans. 1998. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. New York: Vintage Books.

Same author and publisher

For references, a work written and produced by the same entity includes the name of that entity

in both the author’s and publisher’s location; such circumstances usually apply to organizations

that don’t attribute a work to a single writer. This rule, however, does not apply for websites

(see also “Websites or web pages” on page 20).

On the other hand, because notes and bibliographies do not depend on the author-date system,

only the publisher information is given.

N: 131. Drug Courts: Overview of Growth, Characteristics, and Results (Washington, DC:

U.S. General Accounting Office, 1997).

132. Community Policing Defined (Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented

Policing Services, 2012). https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPSP157.

22 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B: Drug Courts: Overview of Growth, Characteristics, and Results. Washington, DC: 

U.S. General Accounting Office, 1997. 

Community Policing Defined. Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing 

Services, 2012. https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-P157. 

R: GAO (U.S. General Accounting Office). 1997. Drug Courts: Overview of Growth, 

Characteristics, and Results. Washington, DC: U.S. General Accounting Office. 

COPS Office. 2012. Community Policing Defined. Washington, DC: Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services. 

https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-P157. 

Permissions and credits 

Authors must secure the appropriate permissions to use illustrative items that are not their 

own, meaning they must obtain releases for photographs (both the subject of the photograph, if 

a person, and the photographer) and other illustrative items, such as logos, charts, and graphs. 

The COPS Office is not liable for an external author’s failure to obtain permission to use 

copyrighted materials. 

Types of illustrative items and the appropriate credit language for each include the following: 

• Obtained permission: Reproduced with permission from . . . 

• Adapted: Adapted from . . . 

• Author-created materials based on someone else’s data: Data from . . . 

• Permission not needed: Reprinted from . . . 

Authors must also provide a source citation for each illustrative item used. Examples: 

N: 1. Adapted from Christy A. Visher, Pretrial Drug Testing, Research in Brief (Washington, 

DC: National Institute of Justice, 1992), 5, NCJ 137057, 

https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/pretrial-drug-testing. 

2. Reproduced with permission from Visher, Pretrial Drug Testing, 5. 

Note: The format of the citation depends on whether the publication uses notes or text citations 

(see “References and Documentation” on page 13). If the citation appears in the references list, 

the author need provide only the shortened format in the source line. 

References and Documentation 23 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Design and Production 

Except in rare circumstances, COPS Office graphic designers produce all design and layout and 

handle production preparation. The creative direction of each publication is the purview of the 

COPS Office graphic designers, in consultation and consensus with the COPS Office project 

manager and editor. Final approval of the publication design lies with the project manager, who 

may consult with others to obtain approvals. 

Program format 

Adobe InDesign Creative Cloud page layout and design software, in conjunction with the rest of 

the Adobe Creative Cloud, is the preferred software of the COPS Office Publishing & Creative 

Resources group. If the author provides InDesign source files to the COPS Office, they must be 

InDesign CS6 or above and must be properly packaged with linked image files and fonts. The 

package should contain a PDF for reference. 

Submit work as an email file attachment no larger than 25 MB. The COPS Office recommends 

zipping a folder of multiple files for transfer. 

Copyright and COPS Office publications 

If applicable, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) regulations permit an external author to 

copyright any publication subject to copyright and developed with COPS Office funds. The COPS 

Office reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable license to reproduce, publish, or 

otherwise use the publication (or authorize others to use the publication) for Federal 

Government purposes. In addition, the COPS Office may reproduce the publication by any 

means, without restriction. 

If an external author is using copyrighted material in a COPS Office–funded publication, the 

author should notify the copyright holder of the COPS Office’s rights to the publication. 

508 compliance 

The COPS Office Publishing & Creative Resources group may need to reformat tables, figures, 

and other illustrative items to ensure all projects conform to the guidelines in section 508 of the 

Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. section 794d). 

Section 508 ensures disabled users have access to electronic and information technology 

produced or used by federal agencies. For additional information on section 508 requirements, 

see the DOJ section 508 web page at https://www.justice.gov/crt/section-508-home-page-1. 

25 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commonly Confused Words 

accept/except. Whereas accept means to 

receive, except means to exclude. EXAMPLE: 

“Everyone except Bob accepted the award.” 

adviser/advisor. Either is okay, but pick one 

per document for consistency. 

affect/effect: 

 affect v. To influence. EXAMPLE: “Late 

delivery affected the schedule.” 

 effect v. To accomplish, to bring about, or 

to cause. EXAMPLE: “The director’s 

announcement will effect change within 

the department.” 

 effect n. The result of an action. 

EXAMPLES: “His announcement had a 

positive effect on the department. The 

effect was greater efficiency.” 

alternate/alternative. These words are not 

always interchangeable as nouns or 

adjectives. Alternate means every other one 

in a series; may stand for “a substitute.” 

Alternative means one of two or more 

possibilities and connotes a matter of 

choice that is never present with an 

alternate. EXAMPLE: “The flooded road left 

them no alternative so they took the 

alternate route.” 

amid/among/between: 

 amid. Refers to a quantity that cannot be 

counted (i.e., mass nouns). EXAMPLE: “He 

exhibited calm amid the chaos.” 

 among. Used for three or more items. 

EXAMPLE: “The money was divided 

among the four winners.” 

 between. Used for only two items. 

EXAMPLE: “She had to choose between 

tennis and swimming.” 

as well as / and. While and implies equality 

among the limitless number of items it can 

join, as well as places less emphasis on the 

item following it and cannot connect more 

than two items. If as well as is used to add a 

third item to a series, and must be used 

between the first two items. EXAMPLE: “The 

service was prompt and courteous, as well 

as efficient.” Prompt and courteous are 

equally more important than efficient. 

assure/ensure/insure: 

 assure. To promise or make sure by 

removing doubt. EXAMPLE: “Bill assured 

David that he would bring the book.” 

 ensure. To make certain. EXAMPLE: “The 

team hired a specialist to ensure the 

project would meet the deadline.” 

 insure. To guarantee against risk 

or loss; to underwrite. EXAMPLE: “They 

insured their house against fire damage.” 

because/since. Not interchangeable. 

Whereas because refers to a reason 

or condition, since refers to time. EXAMPLE: 

“Because of neighborhood watch and other 

new programs, crime has decreased 

considerably since 1994.” 

27 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

because of adv. / due to adj. Not interchangeable. Due to is an adjective; thus, it 

can modify only nouns. Because of is an 

adverb; thus, it modifies verbs. EXAMPLES: 

adverb required: “He decided to buy new 

vests because of the newly implemented 

policy.” Here, because of is modifying the 

verb decided. 

adjective required: “His decision about 

buying new vests was due to the newly 

implemented policy.” Here, due to is 

modifying the noun decision. 

between. See amid/among/between. 

capital/capitol: 

 capital. Refers to money; punishable by 

death; the capital of a state. EXAMPLES: 

“She committed a capital offense. The 

nation’s capital is Washington, D.C.” 

 capitol. Refers to the building in which a 

legislative body meets. Capitalize when 

referring to the U.S. Capitol building. 

EXAMPLES: the U.S. Capitol building; 

Capitol Hill (the site of the U.S. Capitol); 

the state’s capitol building. 

compare to / compare with: 

 compare to. To point out or consider 

similarities. EXAMPLE: “Shakespeare 

compared life to a stage.” 

 compare with. To point out or consider 

differences and similarities. EXAMPLE: 

“For this thesis, I will compare Congress 

with the British Parliament.” 

complement/compliment: 

 complement. Something that completes, 

brings to a whole, or makes perfect. 

EXAMPLE: “Felix’s anxious tidiness 

complemented Oscar’s more relaxed, 

fun-loving style.” 

 compliment. An expression of praise, 

admiration, or congratulation. 

EXAMPLE: “He complimented her on 

her presentation.” 

compose/constitute/comprise: 

 compose/constitute. To form the 

basis of or be a part of something 

larger (i.e., a number of smaller 

items constitute/compose the 

whole). EXAMPLE: “Representatives of six 

departments constitute 

the committee.” 

 comprise. To consist of, contain, 

or include (i.e., the whole comprises a 

number of smaller items). Do not use “is 

comprised of.” EXAMPLE: “A committee 

comprises representatives of six 

departments.” 

continual/continuous/continuing/ongoing: 

 continual. Implies a frequent occurrence 

with short intervals. 

 continuous. Implies an uninterrupted 

flow; nonstop. 

 continuing/ongoing. Implies being in 

progress with no end in sight. 

data pl.; data point/item sing.; data set 

sing. See this entry in “The Big Grammar 

and Usage List.” 

28 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

different from / different than. 

Use different from. 

disinterested/uninterested: 

 disinterested. Impartial; showing 

no favor. EXAMPLE: “Judges should 

be disinterested.” 

 uninterested. Not interested in 

something. EXAMPLE: “Children are 

uninterested in chores.” 

due to / because of. Not interchangeable. 

See because of / due to. 

effect. See affect/effect. 

e.g. and i.e. Not interchangeable. Use e.g. 

to introduce an example, and use i.e. to 

provide clarification. When doing so, follow 

each by a comma. They can be enclosed in 

parentheses, or a colon at the end of a 

sentence can introduce them. Do not use 

etc. at the end of a list that begins with e.g. 

or i.e. EXAMPLE: “Community policing 

practices help foster legitimacy (i.e., they 

help build trust between the community 

and its police agency): e.g., after the 

community-police meeting, neighbors 

felt more comfortable reporting calls 

for service.” 

either/or. Do not combine either with nor. 

See also neither/nor. 

ensure. See assure/ensure/insure. 

farther/further. Use farther for physical 

distance, and use further for metaphorical 

distance. EXAMPLE: “While you drive the car 

farther down the road, we’ll pursue this 

discussion further.” 

fewer/less; over/under; more/less than: 

 fewer/less. Use fewer when referring to 

items that can be counted, and use less 

when referring to a mass quantity that 

can’t be counted individually. EXAMPLE: 

“We had less snow and thus fewer 

snowflakes last winter.” 

 under/over. Use when referring to 

spatial relationships. However, use 

during, not over, when referring to time. 

EXAMPLES: “The mouse hid under the 

desk, and the cow jumped over the 

moon. During the past several years...” 

 more/less than. Use when referring to 

quantities. EXAMPLES: “More than 50 

people came to the conference. He paid 

less than $50 for the train ticket.” 

i.e. and e.g. Not interchangeable. 

See e.g. and i.e. 

imply/infer. Not interchangeable, because 

they’re opposites. Whereas imply means 

to suggest or indicate indirectly, infer 

means to deduce from evidence at hand. 

EXAMPLES: “My boss suggested that I take 

a vacation, implying I was working too hard. 

Because she is a farmer, we inferred she got 

up early.” 

incentivize. Not a real word. Instead, use 

motivate or incentives. EXAMPLE: “The 

agency will motivate its employees by 

providing incentives.” 

insure. See assure/ensure/insure. 

Commonly Confused Words 29 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

its/it’s: Not interchangeable. 

contraction: It’s is a contraction 

for it is or it has. EXAMPLE: “It’s a 

lovely day. It’s been so long since 

last we met.” 

possessive: Its is the possessive 

form of the pronoun it. EXAMPLE: 

“The committee held its meeting 

on Tuesday.” 

pronoun: When referring to a singular 

organization or group, use it or its as the 

pronoun, not they or their. EXAMPLE: 

“The police department tested its 

new procedure.” 

less/fewer. See fewer/less; over/under; 

more/less than. 

more than / over. See fewer/less; 

over/under; more/less than. 

neither/nor. This is the only acceptable 

combination for nor. Do not use neither . . . 

or, either . . . nor, or not . . . nor. 

not only . . . but also. When not only and 

but also are used in conjunction, the 

sentence elements (e.g., nouns, verbs, or 

prepositions) that come after each set of 

words must have the same structure or 

form. EXAMPLES: “The community would 

like the police to end not only thefts (n) but 

also gang violence (n). Community police 

officers assigned to ethnic communities 

not only talk (v) with community members 

but also learn (v) about their cultures 

and traditions.” 

over. See fewer/less; over/under; 

more/less than. 

precede/proceed: 

 precede. To be, go, or come in front or 

ahead. EXAMPLE: “The awards ceremony 

preceded dinner.” 

 proceed. To move forward, begin, and 

carry on an action. EXAMPLE: “The 

committee will proceed with its plans.” 

principal/principle: 

 principal. The head person; the chief 

executive officer of an educational 

institution; a matter or thing of primary 

importance; foremost. EXAMPLES: “She is 

the principal of the new high school. The 

committee’s principal purpose is to 

obtain buy-in.” 

 principle. A law; a rule or code of 

conduct; a doctrine. EXAMPLE: 

“She followed the principles of moral 

behavior.” 

shall/will. Whereas shall is typically used in 

legal writing to express what is mandatory, 

will is more common for nonlegal purposes. 

since/because. See because/since. 

that/which: 

 that. This restrictive pronoun introduces 

information that is essential to defining 

the word it modifies. EXAMPLE: “Dr. 

Violanti and colleagues conducted health 

and stress screens for the study that 

looked at 464 police officers for over five 

years.” Here, “that looked at 464 . . .” 

helps narrow down which study the 

author is referring to. 

30 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 which. This nonrestrictive pronoun 

introduces information not necessary to 

defining the word it modifies. EXAMPLE: 

“Dr. Violanti and colleagues conducted 

health and stress screens for the Buffalo 

Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police 

Stress (BCOPS) study, which looked at 

464 police officers for over five years.” 

Here, we already know exactly which 

study the author’s talking about, so the 

fact that it looked at 464 officers isn’t 

necessary. 

under. See fewer/less; over/under; 

more/less than. 

use/utilized. Use is almost always the 

better choice. Utilized is reserved for 

instances in which something is being used 

in a way other than originally intended (i.e., 

something is being pressed into use); 

however, even in these instances, use is still 

okay. Utilize also has a specific meaning in 

science. EXAMPLES: “I use a stand to raise 

my computer monitor. I utilized a book as a 

monitor stand.” 

which/that. See that/which. 

Commonly Confused Words 31 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Big Grammar and Usage List 

A 

a/an. When deciding whether to use the 

indefinite articles a or an before a word 

(or acronym), base the decision not on the 

spelling but on whether the first letter is 

pronounced as a vowel. Many words and 

acronyms that begin with a consonant are 

pronounced as if starting with a vowel, 

and some words that begin with a vowel 

are pronounced as though they begin with 

a consonant. EXAMPLES: an FBI agent; 

an honest man; a hospital; an HTML 

document; a university; an X-ray. 

See also acronyms. 

abbreviations: 

a/an: If an abbreviation (which includes 

acronyms and initialisms) is widely 

pronounced as a word, the pronunciation of 

the first letter of the word determines the 

article. EXAMPLES: a NATO meeting; a COPS 

Office publication; an IADLEST training 

session. See also a/an. 

apostrophes: Do not make acronyms 

possessive when introduced for the first 

time in parentheses after the spelled out 

term. Afterward, to make an acronym 

possessive, add the apostrophe per usual. 

EXAMPLES: (1) Something belongs to 

one CEO: “The CEO’s life is hectic.” 

(2) Something belongs to more than 

one CEO: “All CEOs’ lives are hectic.” 

(3) Contraction with is (informal): “The 

CEO’s coming to the networking event.” 

capitalization: The spelled-out words that 

make up an abbreviation are capitalized 

only if the thing itself is a proper name. 

EXAMPLES: post-traumatic stress disorder 

(PTSD); school resource officer (SRO), 

computer-aided dispatch (CAD); COPS 

Hiring Program (CHP); American University 

(AU); European Union (EU). 

first use: Spell out acronyms the first time 

introduced. Then follow the spelled-out 

term with the acronym in parentheses, and 

use only the acronym afterward. In a 

document with long chapters, repeat the 

spelled-out term with the acronym in 

parentheses at first mention in each major 

section or chapter. If the spelled-out term is 

plural or possessive, do not make the 

parenthetical acronym plural or possessive. 

EXAMPLE: “The U.S. Department of Justice’s 

(DOJ) budget is subject to debate. Later in 

the year, the DOJ will . . .” 

periods: Federal and state agencies or 

departments are not punctuated with periods. EXAMPLES: FBI; FTC; COPS Office; DOJ. 

plurals: Do not make acronyms plural 

when introduced for the first time in 

parentheses after the spelled-out term. 

Afterward, to make an acronym that 

doesn’t end with an “s” plural, simply 

add the s—no apostrophe. EXAMPLES: 

Wrong: “There are 12 CEO’s on the board.” 

Right: “Many CEOs attended the event.” 

single use: If a term is used only once in a 

document, chapter, or section, do not 

follow it with the acronym in parentheses. 

the: As a general rule, the definite article 

the is inappropriate when acronyms sound 

like names. But use the before acronyms 

when each letter is pronounced separately. 

33 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXAMPLES: “NATO and NASA will meet next 

month. A spokesperson for the FBI, the 

BBC, and the EU said . . .” 

See also the “Abbreviations” list on page 

59 for a quick reference list of those 

frequently used in COPS Office publications. 

See also academic degrees, compass 

points, e.g., i.e., names, state names, 

and U.S.. 

academic degrees. Lowercase when spelled 

out. Do not use periods with the abbreviations. EXAMPLES: BA, bachelor of arts, 

bachelor’s degree; MA, master of arts, 

master’s degree; PhD, doctor of philosophy; 

MD, doctor of medicine, medical degree. 

acknowledgment. Not acknowledgement 

(i.e., do not include the 2nd e). 

active voice. According to the Plain Writing 

Act of 2010, authors should use active voice 

as much as possible to avoid the ambiguity 

and questions inherit in passive voice: e.g., 

“A survey was conducted.” (Who conducted 

the survey?) In such cases, writers should 

do any of the following: 

Discover who performed the action: “A 

policy was implemented” becomes “The 

agency implemented a policy.” 

Change the verb: “The recruits were 

taught about de-escalation” becomes 

“The recruits learned about de-escalation.” 

Change the sentence: “A survey was conducted and a report written” becomes “The 

report, based on a survey, revealed . . .” 

ad hoc. Two words; no hyphen or italics. 

See also italics. 

addresses: 

compass points: Do not use periods with 

NW, SE, etc. To avoid confusion, do not 

abbreviate north, south, east, or west in 

street names. EXAMPLES: 1060 South 

Avenue; 5 Irving Street NW; 

16 East Knute Dr. 

D.C./DC: In running text, include the 

periods in D.C., but do not use periods 

when it’s part of a complete address. 

EXAMPLES: a school trip to Washington, 

D.C.; U.S. Department of Justice, Office of 

Community Oriented Policing Services, 145 

N Street NE, Washington, DC 20530. See 

also District of Columbia. 

ordinals: Do not use superscript. 

EXAMPLE: 124 22nd Street. 

street names: Spell out street, avenue, 

boulevard, lane, and building. EXCEPTIONS: 

footnotes, endnotes, exhibits, and lists. 

See also URL. 

administration. Capitalize when it’s 

part of the full, proper name of an 

organization. Lowercase when it’s 

used as a descriptor or appears alone. 

EXAMPLES: the Food and Drug 

Administration; the Kennedy 

administration; the administration. 

age. Hyphenate only when an age modifies 

another noun. EXAMPLES: 18-year-old 

offender; 18 years old. 

agency. Capitalize when it’s part of the full, 

proper name of an organization. Lowercase 

when it’s used alone. EXAMPLES: Central 

Intelligence Agency; the agency; the local 

law enforcement agency of Smith County. 

See also law enforcement agencies. 

34 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a.m. Lowercase; use periods; place 

a space between the hour and a.m. 

EXAMPLE: 8:00 a.m. 

amendment. Capitalize only when it’s 

part of a proper name. EXAMPLES: 

First Amendment; 14th Amendment; 

an amendment. 

America. Do not use as a synonym for the 

United States. 

and/or. A shortcut that is unnecessary, 

because or is not exclusive; pick one (or, if 

there is a concern that exclusivity is being 

implied, include or both). EXAMPLES: “Police 

and businesses will issue warnings. Police, 

businesses, or both will issue warnings.” 

anti-. As a general rule, do not hyphenate. 

Do use an appropriate hyphen or dash 

when prefixing a proper name. EXAMPLES: 

anticrime; antidrug; antisemitism; 

antiviolence; anti-American; Anti–Drug 

Abuse Act. See also prefixes. 

apostrophe: 

words that end with s: For singular nouns, 

add an apostrophe and an s, regardless of 

whether the word already ends with an s. 

For plurals, simply add an apostrophe at the 

end. EXAMPLES: Francois’s house; Harris’s 

house; Joneses’ house. 

See also acronyms, county names, dates, 

and COPS Office. 

appendices. Not appendixes. 

at risk prep. + n.; at-risk adj. Hyphenate 

only when used as an adjective to modify 

another noun. EXAMPLES: “It was an at-risk 

situation. He put the whole department 

at risk.” 

attorney general. Capitalize when it 

immediately precedes a person’s name. 

Lowercase when it follows a name or 

replaces a name. EXAMPLES: Attorney 

General Garland; State Attorney General 

Smith; the attorney general; the state 

attorney general. See also job titles. 

attorney general’s office. Capitalize only 

when it’s part of a proper name. (The order 

of each office’s name should match how it 

appears on each office’s website.) Lowercase when it’s used as a descriptor or 

appears alone. EXAMPLES: the attorney 

general’s office; the Maryland Attorney 

General’s Office; Pennsylvania Office of 

Attorney General; Office of the West 

Virginia Attorney General; the Calvert 

County State’s Attorney’s Office. 

See also job titles. 

author n. Do not use as a verb. EXAMPLES: 

Wrong: “He authored the book.” Right: 

“He is the author of the book; he wrote 

the book.” See also coauthor. 

autism. In general, default to people [or 

individuals] with autism, but if the 

individual in question identifies differently, 

defer to their preference (autistic, disabled, 

person with autism, etc.) See also 

disabilities and mental illness. 

The Big Grammar and Usage List 35 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B 

bachelor’s degree. Lowercase when 

spelled out. Do not use periods with the 

abbreviation. EXAMPLES: BA; bachelor of 

arts; bachelor’s degree. See also academic 

degrees. 

back up v.; backup n., adj. As a verb, spell 

as two words. As a noun or adjective, spell 

as one word. EXAMPLES: “He will back up 

his statement. Calling for backup isn’t just a 

backup plan.” 

benefited. Not benefitted. 

bill. Capitalize only when it’s part of a 

proper name. Lowercase when it’s used as a 

descriptor or appears alone. EXAMPLES: the 

bill introduced in Congress; Harrison 

narcotic bill; the Bill of Rights. 

broken windows. A well-known term in law 

enforcement; therefore, no quotation 

marks are needed. If a writer chooses to 

emphasize the term at first mention, 

quotation marks are acceptable then, but 

don’t use quotation marks whenever the 

term is mentioned again in that document. 

bulleted and numbered lists. See sidebar 

on page 37. 

but not limited to. This is legal jargon and 

should be avoided. The word including 

means “to be part of a group.” Thus, lists or 

examples introduced with includes are 

inherently not exhaustive, making “but not 

limited to” redundant. If a list is exhaustive, 

then use the term comprises. See also 

compose/constitute/comprise in 

“Commonly Confused Words” beginning 

on page 27. 

buy in v.; buy-in n., adj. As a verb, spell as 

two words and don’t hyphenate. As a noun 

or adjective, do hyphenate. EXAMPLES: “He 

didn’t buy in to the concept. Use the buy-in 

plan to obtain buy-in for the idea.” 

bylaw. Always one word; no hyphen. 

36 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Big Grammar and Usage List 37

Bulleted and numbered lists:

bullets vs. numbers: Use numbers when

listing the steps in a procedure or when

the text specifies a certain number of items

that will be described. In all other cases,

use bullets.

colon: Do not use a colon to introduce a list

if the colon interrupts a complete sentence.

three list types: Regardless of using bullets

or numbers, lists use one of three grammar

and punctuation styles. The following not

only explains but also demonstrates the

three types of lists:

1. If a complete sentence introduces a list

and the list items are complete

sentences, the following occurs:

a. The introductory sentence

concludes with a colon.

b. The first word of each list item

should be capitalized.

c. Each list item should conclude

with a period.

2. If a complete sentence introduces a list

and the list items are fragments, use

the following:

a. A colon at end of the introductory

sentence

b. Capitalization for the first word of

each list item

c. No concluding punctuation per

list item

3. If a fragment introduces a list, then

a. that fragment and the list items

form a complete sentence;

b. a colon does not appear at the end

of the introductory fragment;

c. each list item begins lowercase,

unless the first word is a proper

noun;

d. each list item (except the final item)

concludes with a semicolon;

e. the penultimate list item does

not include and or or after

its semicolon;

f. the final list item concludes with

a period.

parallel listed items: A single list’s bulleted

or numbered items cannot be a mix of

both sentences and fragments. In such

instances, the series must be edited so

that the list items become parallel. See

parallel structure.

See also numbered lists.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C 

capitalization: 

document elements: Lowercase text 

references to general elements of a 

document. EXAMPLES: introduction; 

reference list; chapter 1; note 2; appendix 

A; figure 1; table 5. 

federal/state: Capitalize federal and state 

when they are part of the formal, proper 

names of government or corporate bodies, 

but lowercase them when they are used as 

an adjective to distinguish federal, state, 

county, or city entities from private entities. 

EXAMPLES: Federal Bureau of Investigation; 

State Department of Corrections; the 

federal program; the state police 

department. 

organizations: Capitalize terms such as 

agency, bureau, center, department, 

institute, or office when they are part of a 

formal, proper name, but lowercase them 

when they appear alone. EXAMPLES: 

Federal Bureau of Investigation; 

U.S. Department of Justice; Department of 

History; the agency; the department; the 

bureau. See also it/its. 

See also job titles. 

capitalization—title case. Use this style for 

all document titles and chapter headings. 

All major words have an initial cap. The 

following list outlines more specific rules: 

adverbs: Capitalize. 

articles: Lowercase all articles (i.e., a, an, 

and the) unless as the first or last word in 

a title. 

conjunctions: Lowercase all conjunctions 

(i.e., and, but, for, nor, and or). 

hyphens: Capitalize all elements of 

hyphenated compounds (e.g., ProblemOriented Policing). 

prepositions: Lowercase all prepositions 

(between, from, in, than, to, with, etc.). 

pronouns: Capitalize all pronouns (Both, 

That, Which, Who, Whoever, Whom, etc.). 

verbs: Capitalize all forms of the verb 

“to be” (Are, Be, Is, Was, Were, Will, etc.). 

capitalization—sentence case. Use this 

style for all secondary headings and for the 

titles of charts, tables, figures, etc. See also 

“Figures, tables, and photos” on page 8. 

catalogue. Not catalog. 

charts. See “Figures, tables, and photos” 

on page 8. 

citizen. When citizen appears for the first 

time in a publication and citizen cannot be 

easily replaced with the preferred term 

community member, the following footnote 

should be added for clarification: “This 

report uses citizen to refer to all individuals 

in a city or town who are not sworn law 

enforcement officers or government 

officials. It should not be understood to 

refer only to U.S. citizens.” 

city. Lowercase, even when used in city of 

constructions, unless referring to the city’s 

governmental body. Capitalize city when it 

is part of a formal, proper name. EXAMPLES: 

the city; the city of New York’s tourist 

center; the law passed by the City of New 

York; New York City. See also state. 

citywide. Always one word; no hyphen. 

38 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

coauthor n. No hyphen. Do not use 

as a verb. EXAMPLES: Wrong: “He 

coauthored the book.” Right: “He 

is the coauthor of the book.” See 

also author. 

commas: 

three or more items: In a list of three or 

more items, include a comma (a.k.a. serial 

comma) before the final conjunction. 

EXAMPLE: red, white, and blue. 

two clauses: Always use a conjunction 

and a comma to separate two ideas that 

could function as two separate sentences. 

EXAMPLE: “The police agency assisted the 

community, and the community in turn 

assisted the police agency.” 

two predicates: Do not separate two 

predicates with a comma, as the second 

could never function as a separate 

sentence. EXAMPLE: “The Sutin Civic 

Imagination Award recognizes the efforts 

of collaborative partnerships that have 

transformed public safety in their 

community through civic interactions and 

honors a team of law enforcement and 

community members whose innovative 

civic interactions have transformed public 

safety in their community.” Here, “honors a 

team of . . .” could not function as its own 

sentence, so do not use a comma. 

See also county names, dates, e.g. and 

i.e., etc., job titles, names, numbers, 

quotation marks, semicolons, states, state 

names, and U.S. Department of Justice. 

community based / community-based adj. 

Hyphenate only when used as an appositive 

adjective (appearing before the noun). Do 

not hyphenate in the predicate. EXAMPLES: 

“Their efforts were community based. The 

community-based efforts 

helped many.” 

community oriented / community-oriented 

adj. Hyphenate only when used as an 

appositive adjective (appearing before the 

noun). Do not hyphenate in the predicate. 

EXAMPLES: “The solution is community 

oriented. Community-oriented policing 

offers many benefits.” EXCEPTION: Office 

of Community Oriented Policing Services. 

community planning. Never hyphenate. 

community policing. Never hyphenate. 

community-wide. Always hyphenate. 

compass points. See addresses. 

compound words. See prefixes. 

CompStat. The New York City Police 

Department’s computer statistics 

(CompStat) program for collecting crime 

statistics from city precincts. Other law 

enforcement agencies have their own 

versions and spellings: e.g., COMPSTAT, 

Compstat, compstat, comstat. Be sure to 

use the correct spelling specific to the 

agency and be consistent. When in doubt, 

use the original New York City Police 

Department’s version. 

The Big Grammar and Usage List 39 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congress. Capitalize when referring to the 

U.S. Congress or another formally named 

group. EXAMPLES: Congress; the Congress 

of Racial Equality. 

congressional. Capitalize when it’s part 

of a full, proper name. Lowercase when 

it’s used as a descriptor. EXAMPLES: the 

First Congressional District; the 

congressional district. 

congressman/congresswoman. Use 

representative instead when first 

introducing a U.S. House member. 

However, congressman/congresswoman 

may be used subsequently when not 

attached to a name. See also job titles. 

Constitution (U.S.). Capitalize when refering to the U.S. Constitution. EXAMPLE: 

the Constitution. 

constitutional. Capitalize when it’s part of a 

full, proper name. Lowercase when it’s used 

as a descriptor. 

COPS Office. Upon first reference, spell out 

the Office of Community Oriented Policing 

Services and follow with the acronym (COPS 

Office) in parentheses; never make the 

parenthetical acronym possessive (see also 

acronyms). Every time thereafter, use the 

acronym COPS Office. Because other 

organizations use the COPS acronym, 

always refer to the COPS Office as the COPS 

Office. EXAMPLES: “The U.S. Department of 

Justice created the Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) as a 

result of the Violent Crime Control and Law 

Enforcement Act of 1994. The COPS Office’s 

grants provide . . .” 

cost-benefit analysis. Always hyphenate. 

Not cost/benefit analysis. 

cost effective / cost-effective adj. – 

Hyphenate only when used as an appositive 

adjective (appearing before the noun). Do 

not hyphenate in the predicate. EXAMPLES: 

“A cost-effective program. The program was 

cost effective.” 

counterterrorism. Always one word; 

no hyphen. 

country. Lowercase, even when referring to the United States. EXAMPLE: 

our country. 

county. Lowercase except when specifying 

a county’s name. EXAMPLES: county 

authorities; Montgomery County; Fairfax 

and Loudoun Counties. See also county 

names. 

county names. Use an apostrophe only if 

it’s part of the legally constituted name. 

EXAMPLES: Prince George’s County; St. 

Mary’s County. See also state names. 

court. Capitalize only when it’s part of a 

proper name. Lowercase when it’s used as a 

descriptor or appears alone. EXAMPLES: the 

U.S. Supreme Court; the Supreme Court; 

the New York Court of Appeals; the court. 

See also legal cases. 

coworker. Always one word; no hyphen. 

crime fighter n.; crime-fighting adj. 

Hyphenate only when used as an adjective. 

criterion sing.; criteria pl. 

cross-check. Always hyphenate. 

40 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cross-examine v.; cross-examination n. 

Always hyphenate. 

cross fire. Two words. 

cross-reference. Always hyphenate. 

cross section n; cross-section adj. 

Hyphenate only when used as an adjective. 

cross-train v; cross-training n. 

Always hyphenate. 

cut back v; cutback n., adj. As a verb, spell 

as two words. As a noun or adjective, spell 

as one word. 

curriculum sing.; curricula pl. 

cyberbullying. Always one word; no 

hyphen. See also prefixes. 

cybercrime. Always one word; no hyphen. 

See also prefixes. 

cyberstalking. Always one word; no 

hyphen. See also prefixes. 

D 

dashes: 

 em dash. The equivalent of two hyphens, 

an em dash (—) denotes a break in 

thought or introduces an explanatory 

element in a sentence. There is no space 

on either side of the em dash. To insert 

an em dash on PCs, type Alt + 0151 (or, in 

MS Office, type Ctrl+Alt+minus). 

EXAMPLE: “Take this report with you—it 

is very informative—when you go to the 

meeting.” 

 en dash. Longer than a hyphen but 

shorter than an em dash, an en dash (–) 

separates dates, times, and page 

numbers. There is no space on either side 

of the en dash. To insert an en dash on 

PCs, type Alt+0150 (or, in MS Office, type 

Ctrl+minus). EXAMPLES: 1995–2009; 

11:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m.; pages 100–200. 

 hyphen. There is no space on either 

side of a hyphen when used to combine 

two words. 

 See also dates and numbers. 

dates: 

commas: When writing the month, day, 

and year in a sentence, place a comma after 

the year. However, when writing only the 

month and year, do not use any commas, 

except when the year concludes an 

introductory phrase. EXAMPLES: “He gave 

the speech on May 1, 2014, in New York. He 

gave the speech in June 2014 in New York.” 

mm/dd/yyyy: When using this style for 

lists, agendas, etc., include all four numbers 

for the year. 

ranges: Use an en dash (–) to separate a 

range. To insert an en dash on PCs, type 

Ctrl+minus. Do not include spaces on either 

side of an en dash. EXAMPLES: January– 

March; July 7–September 16; 1995–2009; 

2010–2014; 1980–1986. See also dashes. 

plural: Do not use an apostrophe when 

making a decade plural. EXAMPLE: “Policing 

has changed since the 1920s.” 

possessive: Use an apostrophe per 

usual when making a date possessive. 

EXAMPLE: 1920’s police uniforms. 

ordinals: As a general rule, do not use 

ordinals for dates. EXAMPLE: “The theft 

took place on January 7.” 

The Big Grammar and Usage List 41 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

data pl.; data point/item sing.; 

data set sing.: 

 data. Use plural verbs and plural 

demonstrative pronouns. 

EXAMPLE: “These data are helpful.” 

 data point/item. Use to discuss 

individual facts in the data. 

 data set. Use to discuss the entirety 

of the data. 

D.C./DC. Abbreviate D.C. when it’s used as 

an adjective in running text, and include the 

periods. However, do not use periods when 

it’s used in a complete address or in 

reference lists and notes. EXAMPLES: 

“The COPS Office has been located in 

Washington, D.C., since its establishment. 

The address for the Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services is 145 N Street 

NE, Washington, DC 20530.” See also 

addresses, District of Columbia, and 

state names. 

decision maker. Two words; no hyphen. 

decision-making n., adj. Always hyphenate. 

EXAMPLES: “The community must work 

together in its decision-making. The 

decision-making process has concluded.” 

department. Capitalize when it’s part 

of the full, proper name of an organization. 

Lowercase when it’s used alone. EXAMPLE: 

“The U.S. Department of Justice will issue 

new rules next week. They are the result of 

the department’s reevaluation of . . .” 

Department of Justice. See U.S. Department of Justice. 

dialogue. Not dialog. 

disabilities. In general, default to people [or 

individuals] with disabilities; if the individual 

in question identifies differently, defer to 

their preference (disabled, person with a 

disability, etc.) See also autism and mental 

illness. 

District of Columbia. Spell out when used 

as a noun or as part of a proper name or 

legal case. Abbreviate when used as an 

adjective. EXAMPLES: “Visit the District of 

Columbia. Crime in Washington, D.C., is 

down.” See also addresses and D.C./DC. 

downtime. Always one word; no hyphen. 

drive by v.; drive-by n., adj. As a verb, 

spell as two words and don’t hyphenate. 

As a noun or adjective, do hyphenate. 

EXAMPLES: “We drove by the house. 

Gangs are notorious for drive-bys. It was 

a drive-by shooting.” 

drug free n.; drug-free adj. Hyphenate 

only when used as an adjective to modify 

another noun. EXAMPLES: “The neighborhood has been drug free for a year. The 

drug-free neighborhood is welcoming.” 

E 

e.g. and i.e. Not interchangeable. Use e.g. 

to introduce an example, and use i.e. to 

provide clarification. When doing so, follow 

each by a comma. They can be enclosed in 

parentheses, or a colon at the end of a 

sentence can introduce them. Do not use 

etc. at the end of a list that begins with e.g. 

or i.e. EXAMPLE: “Community policing 

practices help foster legitimacy (i.e., they 

42 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

help build trust between the community 

and its police agency): e.g., after the 

community-police meeting, neighbors felt 

more comfortable reporting calls for 

service.” See also abbreviations and etc. 

ellipsis. Include a space before, between, 

and after each period. An ellipsis at the end 

of a sentence is followed by a period. 

EXAMPLE: “And then we went to the 

meeting . . .” 

email. Do not hyphenate email; capitalize 

only when the word starts a sentence. 

e- prefix. Hyphenate, except when used 

with proper nouns and email. When used 

in a title, capitalize the e- and the word 

that follows. EXAMPLES: e-business; ecommerce; e-grants; eBay. EXAMPLES 

OF TITLE CASE: E-Business; E-Commerce; 

E-Grants. 

epilogue. Not epilog. 

et al. This abbreviation means “and 

others”—the others being people, not 

things. Because al. is the abbreviation, the 

period is required. Do not italicize this term. 

etc. This abbreviation means “and other 

things.” Lists that being with for example, 

such as, i.e., e.g., or a similar expression 

should not conclude with etc. If used in the 

middle of a sentence, do not follow etc. 

with a comma. Do not italicize it. EXAMPLE: 

“After work, I had to run a lot of errands at 

the post office, the grocery store, etc. 

before I could go home.” 

ethnicities. Do not hyphenate when two 

ethnicities are modifying a noun. 

EXAMPLES: African American man; 

Asian American woman. 

 Alaska Native: Collective term for 

Aleuts, Eskimos, and Indians of Alaska. 

 Asian: Not Oriental. 

 Black: Capitalize when referring to 

people of African descent. 

 Hispanic: Capitalize. 

 Latina/Latino/Latinx: Capitalize. 

 Native American: When describing 

people, use this term instead of Indian. 

See also Indian country and tribal. 

 White: Capitalize when used as a 

synonym for Caucasian. 

exhibits. See illustrative items. 

ex-convict. Always hyphenate. 

ex-offender. Always hyphenate. 

F 

fax numbers. Use hyphens as separators. 

The same style applies to telephone 

numbers. EXAMPLE: 000-000-0000. 

federal/federally. Capitalize when used as 

part of the proper name of government 

entities, but lowercase when used as an 

adjective to specify the jurisdiction level. 

EXAMPLES: Federal Bureau of Investigation; 

Federal Government; federal policies; 

federal agencies. 

Federal Government. Always capitalize. 

See also Tribal Government. 

The Big Grammar and Usage List 43 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

female adj. Do not use as a noun; use 

woman or girl as appropriate or add a noun 

such as suspect, victim, citizen (but see 

citizen), or similar for the adjective to 

modify. 

figures. See “Figures, tables, and photos” 

on page 8. 

follow up v.; follow-up n. As a verb, spell as 

two words and don’t hyphenate. As a noun 

or adjective, do hyphenate. 

fort. Always spell out. EXAMPLES: 

Fort Worth; Fort Lauderdale. 

frontline. Always one word; no hyphen. 

fundraising/fundraiser. Always one word; 

no hyphen. 

FY (fiscal year). Include a space between 

FY and the full four-digit year. When paired 

with a year, do not spell out the term fiscal 

year. EXAMPLES: FY 2014; a meeting about 

the fiscal year. 

G 

gender. Refers to social expectations, 

standards, and characteristics; not to be 

confused with sex. See sex. 

governor. Capitalize when it immediately 

precedes a person’s name. Lowercase when 

it follows a name or replaces a name. 

EXAMPLES: Governor Smith; the governor. 

See also job titles. 

government. A generic term that is almost 

always lowercased. EXAMPLES: the 

Canadian government; the government; the 

Federal Government. 

graphs. See “Figures, tables, and photos” 

on page 8. 

grant making n.; grant-making adj. 

Hyphenate only when used as an adjective 

to modify another noun. EXAMPLES: “Their 

services include grant making. This grantmaking office has helped the field in 

numerous ways.” 

H 

handheld. Always one word; no hyphen. 

handicapped. See disabilities and 

mental illness. 

he and she; he or she. In general, use they 

when referring to a person whose gender is 

unknown or irrelevant (see pronouns). If it 

is necessary to use he or she, do not use 

slashes, such as he/she. 

health care. Two words; no hyphen. 

his and her; his or her. In general, use their 

when referring to a person whose gender is 

unknown or irrelevant (see pronouns). If it 

is necessary to use his or her, do not use 

slashes, such as his/her. 

home page. Two words; no hyphen. 

hotline. Always one word; no hyphen. 

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hot spot(s). Two words; no hyphen or 

quotation marks. Always choose the 

singular when used as an adjective to 

modify another noun. EXAMPLES: “The 

agency focused its analysis on crime hot 

spots. The police department engaged in 

hot spot policing.” 

hyphenation: 

age: Hyphenate only when an age 

modifies another noun. EXAMPLES: 18-yearold offender; 18 years old. 

comparative/superlative: Never 

hyphenate comparatives (better, higher, 

lower, etc.) or superlatives (best, highest, 

lowest, etc.). EXAMPLES: lower income 

group; low-income group. 

–ly adverbs: Never hyphenate. 

EXAMPLES: congressionally chartered 

group; successfully run business. 

numbers: Hyphenate numerical 

compounds that modify a noun. EXAMPLES: 

15-year program; 15 years. 

two words modifying a noun: A two-word 

combination that is regularly understood as 

a common phrase in normal use does not 

take a hyphen when it modifies another 

noun rather than being used as a compound 

itself. Do use a hyphen between two words 

that are not regularly used as a common 

phrase but that, when combined, are 

modifying a noun. NOTE: When the one of 

the elements of the modifier is this type of 

open (unhyphenated) compound, use an en 

dash rather than a hyphen. EXAMPLES: 

police department procedures; high-level 

decision; COPS Office–sponsored seminar. 

EXCEPTION: National DEC (see 

Abbreviations) does not use a hyphen, and 

the phrase “drug endangered children” is 

not hyphenated in their publications. 

See also dashes and numbers. 

I 

i.e. and e.g. Not interchangeable. Use i.e. to 

provide clarification, and use e.g. to introduce an example. Follow each by a comma. 

They can be enclosed in parentheses, or a 

colon at the end of a sentence can introduce them. Do not use etc. at the end of a 

list that begins with i.e. or e.g. EXAMPLE: 

“Community policing practices help foster 

legitimacy (i.e., they help build trust between 

the community and its police agency): e.g., 

after the community-police meeting, neighbors felt more comfortable reporting calls 

for service.” See also abbreviations and etc. 

illustrative items. See “Figures, tables, and 

photos” on page 8. 

impact. Try not to overuse this word, as 

an impact can’t describe every action that 

causes something to happen, and make 

sure to explain the kind of impact. Try 

also using effect or influence. EXAMPLES: 

“The changes had a positive impact on 

productivity. The changes will adversely 

affect staffing.” 

important/importantly. See more/most 

important/importantly. 

in depth prep. + n.; in-depth adj. Hyphenate 

only when used as an adjective to modify 

another noun. EXAMPLES: “We had an indepth conversation. She studied the report 

in depth.” 

The Big Grammar and Usage List 45 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

include. See but not limited to. 

Indian country. Note the lowercase c 

in country. See also ethnicities and tribal. 

information sharing n.; informationsharing adj. Hyphenate only when used 

as an adjective. EXAMPLES: “The software 

improved information sharing. The 

information-sharing software facilitated 

more effective multijurisdictional 

investigations.” 

in service prep. + n.; in-service adj. 

Hyphenate only when used as an adjective 

to modify another noun. EXAMPLES: inservice police officer; in-service workshop; 

several volunteers who were in service. 

intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

Abbreviate IDD, not I/DD. 

internet. Lowercase. 

intranet. Lowercase; also lowercase the 

word extranet. 

it/its. When referring to organizations, 

departments, and other nonhuman entities, 

use it or its, not they or their. EXAMPLE: 

“The ABC Corporation will announce its 

earnings.” See also this same entry in 

“Commonly Confused Words” on page 27. 

italics: 

emphasis: For emphasis, if absolutely 

necessary, use italics (or quotation marks), 

but don’t overdo it. 

foreign words: Do not italicize wellknown foreign words. 

legal cases: Italicize case names, but 

not the “v.” (United States v. Smith). 

titles: Use italics for the titles of major 

works: e.g., publications, magazines, 

journals, and films. If the title appears in an 

italicized sentence, do not italicize the title. 

EXAMPLES: “The updated Community 

Policing Defined features all new graphics. 

The newest version of Does Neighborhood 

Watch Reduce Crime? contains updated 

statistics.” See also quotation marks. 

unfamiliar terms: For unfamiliar terms, if 

necessary, use italics (or quotation marks) 

only upon first use. Do not continue to use 

italics (or quotation marks) thereafter. 

J 

job titles: 

after names: In a body of text, lowercase 

all job titles, offset by commas, that appear 

immediately after a person’s name. 

EXCEPTIONS: lists, photo captions, and 

other similar nonprose uses. EXAMPLE: “The 

meeting included John Doe, vice president 

of the Justice Foundation, and Joe Brown, 

chief of police of the Stanhope (Kansas) 

Police Department.” 

alone: In a body of text, lowercase job 

titles when used generically or alone. 

EXAMPLES: the director; the six mayors; the 

chief of police; the new sheriff; the 

president of the United States. 

before names: Capitalize formal titles 

that appear immediately before a name. 

Lowercase informal job descriptions. 

EXAMPLES: Chief of Police Joe Brown; 

Director Anne Anderson; attorney 

David Johnson; program manager 

Stephanie Smith. 

46 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

past/future: Aside from lists, agendas, 

etc., do not capitalize qualifying words such 

as former, then, or acting when used before 

a job title (unless a hyphen is needed to 

avoid confusion). EXAMPLES: former Mayor 

Joe Smith; then Chief of Police David Jones; 

acting Director Jane Doe. 

photo captions: Capitalize job titles in 

photo captions. 

repeating titles: Introduce each individual 

with their title and full name; use title and 

last name in the first mention in subsequent 

paragraphs and last name only in other 

references thereafter. In longer 

publications, it may be necessary to 

reintroduce the individual with full name 

and title in each chapter. EXAMPLE: “Joe 

Brown, chief of police of the Stanhope 

(Kansas) Police Department, attended the 

meeting. Brown provided valuable advice. 

According to Chief Brown, crime has 

decreased 10 percent. Brown attributed 

this decline to the department’s new 

community oriented policing program.” 

EXCEPTION: Posthumous references should 

always use the person’s title or honorific. 

lists: Capitalize job titles following 

names in a list (e.g., agendas, conference 

programs, and workshops). EXAMPLE: 

Moderator: Jane Smith, Assistant 

General Counsel, ABC Corporation. 

See also attorney general 

and president. 

Justice Department. See U.S. Department 

of Justice. 

K 

kick off v.; kickoff n., adj. As a verb, spell as 

two words. As a noun or adjective, spell as 

one word. . EXAMPLE: “We’re going to kick 

off the project at the kickoff meeting.” 

L 

law enforcement agencies. For nonstate 

law enforcement agencies, include the state 

in parentheses immediately after the 

jurisdiction’s name upon first mention. 

Agencies in well-known cities can appear 

without a state. EXAMPLES: Alexandria 

(Virginia) Sheriff’s Office; Raleigh (North 

Carolina) Police Department; Metropolitan 

(D.C.) Police Department; San Francisco 

Police Department. 

law enforcement jobs. See job titles. 

legal cases. Use italics for case names but 

not for the “v.” EXAMPLE: John Jones v. 

Richard Smith. See also versus. 

LGBTQ. Do not use any other variation 

of this abbreviation unless a particular 

other segment of the community, 

such as asexual, is being discussed. 

See also transgender. 

lists. See bulleted lists, job titles, and 

numbered lists. 

log on v.; logon n. As a verb, spell as two 

words. As a noun, spell as one word. 

long standing n.; long-standing adj. 

Hyphenate only when used as an adjective 

to modify another noun. EXAMPLES: “The 

The Big Grammar and Usage List 47 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

program’s positive results are long standing. 

The long-standing results speak for 

themselves.” 

-ly adverbs. Never hyphenate. EXAMPLES: 

congressionally chartered group; 

successfully run business. 

M 

male adj. Do not use as a noun; use man or 

boy as appropriate or add a noun such as 

suspect, victim, citizen (but see citizen), or 

similar for the adjective to modify. 

marshal. Capitalize when it immediately 

precedes a person’s name. Lowercase when 

it follows a name or replaces a name. 

EXAMPLES: “He asked U.S. Marshal John 

Doe to make the arrest. The marshal made 

the arrest.” See also job titles. 

master’s degree. Lowercase when spelled 

out. Do not use periods with the abbreviations. EXAMPLES: MA (master of arts); 

MPA (master of public administration); 

MS (master of science). See also 

academic degrees. 

mayor. Capitalize when it immediately 

precedes a person’s name. Lowercase when 

it follows a name or replaces a name. 

EXAMPLES: “At the ceremony, Mayor Jay 

Jones will make a statement. The reporter 

asked the mayor to comment.” See also 

job titles. 

MD (medical doctor). Do not use periods 

with the abbreviation. Lowercase when 

spelled out. EXAMPLES: MD; doctor 

of medicine. See also academic degrees. 

memorandum sing.; memoranda pl. 

mental illness. In general, default to people 

[or individuals] with mental illness(es); if the 

individual in question identifies differently, 

defer to their preference (mentally ill, 

person with [a] mental illness, etc.) See also 

autism and disabilities. 

money. Always use Arabic numerals. Spell 

out cents, but use the symbol for dollars. 

Use $1 million, $1.3 million, $4,473,000 or 

$4.473 million, 50 cents. 

multi-. As a general rule, do not hyphenate. 

EXAMPLES: multiagency; multicultural; 

multijurisdictional; multisite. EXCEPTION: 

multi-stakeholder. See also prefixes. 

N 

names: 

initials: Initialized first and middle names 

include periods but not spaces. EXAMPLE: 

J.W. Smith. 

repeating names: Use title and last name 

on first reference in a paragraph to an 

individual who was introduced with full 

name earlier in the publication. Use last 

name only otherwise. EXCEPTION: 

Posthumous references should always use 

the person’s title or honorific. 

suffixes: Commas are not needed before 

Sr. or Jr., but use them if the individual’s 

preference is known. When commas are 

used, use a second comma after the suffix, 

like a state name (see state names). Do not 

use commas before Roman numerals. For 

48 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

inverted names, as in indices, the suffix still 

comes last, and a comma is necessary to 

separate the suffix from the first name. 

EXAMPLES: Joseph Smith Sr. spoke; Joseph 

Smith, Sr., spoke; Smith, Joseph, Sr. 

See also job titles and law enforcement agencies. 

nation; national. Lowercase, as in 

“our nation.” 

nationwide. Always one word; no hyphen. 

neighborhood watch. Lowercase when 

referring to programs similar to the 

national program. 

Neighborhood Watch Program. Use initial 

caps when referring to the national 

program—originally developed by the 

National Sheriffs’ Association—also 

known as USAonWatch. 

neopronouns. Some individuals use 

pronouns other than he, she, or they. Use 

the pronouns used by the individual being 

discussed. If the individual uses a 

neopronoun, add the following footnote for 

clarification: “[Name of individual] uses the 

pronouns [ze/zir].” If an individual’s 

pronouns are unknown, use they/them (see 

pronouns). 

not only . . . but also. See “Commonly 

Confused Words” on page 27. 

non-. As a general rule, do not hyphenate. 

EXAMPLES: nonprofit; nonlethal. See 

also prefixes. 

numbered lists. If a sentence includes 

numbered items, the following applies: (1) 

each number (or letter) should be enclosed 

in parentheses; (2) do not use a colon to 

introduce the list if the colon interrupts a 

complete sentence; and (3) a comma 

should separate each numbered item, but if 

one or more of the items include internal 

commas, then semicolons should separate 

each numbered item. See also the bulleted 

and numbered lists sidebar on page 37. 

numbers: 

10+: Use Arabic numerals for 10 and 

greater, and spell out one through nine. 

EXCEPTION: measurements. EXAMPLES: 

seven officers; four hours; five months; 

100 agencies. 

24/7: In running text, the use of 24/7 

is acceptable. 

beginning sentences: Spell out a number 

that starts a sentence. EXAMPLE: “Eightysix of the 94 respondents supported 

the change.” 

commas: Use a comma in numbers with 

four or more digits. EXAMPLE: 1,350. 

compounds: Hyphenate numerical 

compounds that modify a noun. EXAMPLES: 

15-year program; 15 years; a 15-year-old 

participant. 

fractions: Generally speaking, spell out 

simple fractions. Do not mix fractions with 

percentages. EXCEPTION: measurements. 

EXAMPLES: three-fourths of the agency; a 

quarter of an hour. 

measurements: Always use Arabic 

numerals with units of measurement, 

degrees, decimals, money, percentages, or 

The Big Grammar and Usage List 49 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

proportions: 6 feet; 3/4 inch; 4 degrees; 71 

degrees Fahrenheit; 71° F; 5 percent; $95; 

50 cents. 

ordinals: As a general rule, spell out 

ordinals first through ninth, and do not use 

superscript. EXAMPLES: first floor; 21st 

century; 35th president of the United 

States. See also dates and addresses. 

parentheses: Do not follow a spelled-out 

number with the numeral in parentheses. 

percentages: Always use numerals 

to denote percentages. In text, always 

spell out percent, but use the symbol (%) 

in tables, graphs, figures, and illustrative items. 

ranges: Use en dashes (–) between 

groups of numbers, such as pages (25–26), 

years (1995–2009), or a nine-digit ZIP code 

(20849–6000). To insert an en dash on PCs, 

type Alt + 0150 (or, in MS Office, type 

Ctrl+minus). Do not include spaces on 

either side of an en dash. See also dashes. 

See also addresses, dates, money, 

number lists, time, telephone numbers, 

and September 11. 

O 

off site prep. + n.; off-site adj. Hyphenate 

only when used as an adjective to modify 

another noun. EXAMPLES: “The COPS Office 

meeting will be at an off-site location. The 

COPS Office meeting is off site.” 

off-line. Always hyphenate. 

only. Place only as close as possible to the 

word it qualifies. EXAMPLES: Wrong: “The 

police only arrested the gang leader.” Right: 

“The police arrested only the gang leader.” 

on site prep. + n.; on-site adj. Hyphenate 

only when used as an adjective to modify 

another noun. EXAMPLES: “The meeting will 

take place in an on-site room. The meeting 

will take place on site.” 

ongoing. Always one word; no hyphen. 

online. Always one word; no hyphen. 

operationalize. Jargon. Instead use 

implement, carryout, work on, or do. 

EXAMPLE: “The recommended steps will 

help operationalize implement the 

principles of community policing.” 

organization chart. Not organizational chart. 

P 

parallel structure. All lists (whether 

numbered, bulleted, or within sentences) 

must have parallel structure, meaning the 

words or phrases of each listed item must 

have the same grammatical structure. For 

example, all listed items must either be 

complete sentences or all fragments. If they 

begin with verbs, all of them must be in the 

same tense (past, present, or future) with 

the same suffixes (such as ending 

-ing or -ed). See also bulleted lists and 

numbered lists. 

EXAMPLE: Enforcement agencies face 

specific challenges in managing the patrol 

function, such as (1) keeping patrol officers 

informed, (2) providing routine police 

services, and (3) ensuring officer safety. 

50 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXAMPLE: Critical services an agency 

must perform in the investigation include 

the following: 

 Provide surveillance 

 Establish roadblocks 

 Identify potential crime sites 

passive voice. According to the Plain 

Writing Act of 2010, authors should use 

active voice as much as possible to avoid 

the ambiguity and questions inherit in 

passive voice: e.g., “A survey was conducted.” (Who conducted the survey?) 

In such cases, writers should do any of 

the following: 

Find out who performed the action: 

“A policy was implemented” becomes 

“The agency implemented a policy.” 

Change the verb: “The recruits were 

taught about de-escalation” becomes 

“The recruits learned about de-escalation.” 

Change the sentence: “A survey 

was conducted and a report written” 

becomes “The report, based on a 

survey, revealed . . .” 

parentheses. Parenthetical content 

embedded within a sentence, regardless 

of whether the parentheses contain a 

complete sentence, does not require a 

period, and the first word should not be 

capitalized. However, if the parentheses 

aren’t embedded within another sentence, 

their contents should contain a complete 

sentence, conclude with a period, and begin 

with a capitalized first word. EXAMPLES: 

“The foundation hosted the conference 

(my assistant has enclosed the minutes). 

I went to the conference yesterday 

morning. (I forgot my coffee.)” 

percent. Always use numerals to denote 

percentages. In text, always spell out 

percent, but use the symbol (%) in tables, 

graphs, figures, and illustrative items. 

EXAMPLE: “The chief of police said the 

budget was cut by 15 percent.” See 

also numbers. 

PhD (doctor of philosophy). Do not 

use periods with the abbreviation. 

Lowercase when spelled out. See 

also academic degrees. 

p.m. Lowercase; use periods; place a 

space between the hour and p.m. 

EXAMPLE: 8:00 p.m. 

police departments. See law enforcement agencies. 

policy maker n. Two words; no hyphen. 

policy making n.; policy-making adj. 

Hyphenate only when used as an adjective 

to modify another noun. EXAMPLES: “Their 

services include policy making. The policymaking arm of the office has prepared 

new guidance.” 

possessive: 

singular nouns: Add an apostrophe and 

an s, regardless of whether the word 

already ends with an s. EXAMPLES: the 

officer’s safety; 1920’s police uniforms; 

Harris’s house; Francois’s house. 

plural nouns: Add an apostrophe after 

the s. EXAMPLES: the officers’ safety; the 

Joneses’ house. 

See also apostrophes, acronyms, 

COPS Office, and dates. 

The Big Grammar and Usage List 51 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

post-application. Always hyphenate. 

See also prefixes. 

post-award. Always hyphenate. See 

also prefixes. 

postal abbreviations. See addresses, 

D.C./DC, District of Columbia, and 

state names. 

post-traumatic stress disorder. Note 

the hyphen and use of lowercase. In 

general, diseases and conditions aren't 

proper names, but if they are named after 

a person, of course that person's name 

is capitalized. 

pre-application. Always hyphenate. 

See also prefixes. 

pre-award. Always hyphenate. See 

also prefixes. 

prefixes. Do not hyphenate most 

compounds formed with the following 

prefixes: ante, anti, bi, bio, co, counter, 

cyber, extra, infra, inter, intra, macro, 

meta, micro, mid, mini, multi, neo, non, 

over, post, pre, pro, proto, pseudo, re, 

semi, socio, sub, super, supra, trans, ultra, 

un, under. EXCEPTIONS: Always hyphenate 

pre- and post-application and pre- and 

post-award. 

 Hyphenate if not doing so would change 

the meaning of the word. EXAMPLES: 

re-create (to create again) vs. recreate (to 

take recreation); re-cover (to cover again) 

vs. recover (to get back). 

 Hyphenate if the second element is 

already a compound. EXAMPLES: 

multi-stakeholder; post-fundraising. 

 Use an en dash if one of the elements 

is an open compound. EXAMPLES: 

post–World War II era; community 

policing–based efforts. 

 Hyphenate if the second element is a 

number. EXAMPLES: mid-1990s; mid-20s. 

 Hyphenate if the second element is 

a capitalized proper name. EXAMPLE: 

mid-Atlantic. 

 Hyphenate if the prefix ends and the 

second element begins with the same 

vowel or consonant and they are difficult 

to read without a hyphen. EXAMPLES: 

semi-independent; anti-inflammatory. 

EXCEPTIONS: reengineer; reelect; 

preexist; bookkeeping. 

 Hyphenate if two prefixes are offered for 

one word. In such cases, the prefix 

standing alone takes a hyphen. 

EXAMPLES: over- and underused; macroand microeconomics. 

president. Capitalize when used in front 

of a person’s name or when referring to 

the president of the United States as 

Mr. President. Lowercase when used alone. 

EXAMPLES: “The president addressed the 

nation from the Oval Office. At the 

fundraiser, President Jones made an 

announcement.” See also job titles. 

problem oriented n.; problem-oriented adj. 

Hyphenate only when used as an adjective. 

EXAMPLES: “This publication discusses 

problem-oriented policing. The questions 

were problem oriented.” 

problem solver. Two words; no hyphen. 

EXAMPLE: “He considers himself a 

problem solver.” 

52 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

problem solving n.; problem-solving adj. 

Hyphenate only when used as an adjective. 

EXAMPLES: “Educational planning helps 

with problem solving. The training included 

problem-solving exercises.” 

pronouns. Use they to refer to a singular 

noun if the gender of the person being 

discussed is unspecified, unknown, or 

irrelevant OR if the person being discussed 

has requested the gender-neutral use of 

they. Avoid gendered pronouns where they 

are unnecessary. EXAMPLES: “Each officer 

completed their his or her a report. Each 

officer completed their own report. The 

officers completed their reports. Every 

agency deployed their its officers for 

assistance. The agencies deployed their 

officers for assistance.” See also it/its, 

neopronouns. 

Q 

quotation marks: 

criminal justice terms: Do not use 

quotation marks (or italics) for terms 

commonly used in the criminal justice field. 

EXAMPLES: hot spots; broken windows. 

emphasis: Do not use for emphasis. If 

emphasis is necessary, use italics, but 

don’t overdo it. 

punctuation: Place periods and commas 

inside quotation marks. Place colons, 

semicolons, question marks, and exclamation points outside of the quotation 

marks unless the punctuation is part of 

the quoted material. 

single vs. double: Use single quotation 

marks for a quote within a quote. 

titles: Use quotation marks for the titles 

of shorter works: e.g., chapters, magazine 

or journal articles, and titled sections or 

pages on a website. EXAMPLE: the 

“Problem Analysis” chapter in Group 

Violence Intervention. 

unfamiliar terms: For unfamiliar terms, 

if necessary, use quotation marks (or italics, 

but not both) only upon first use. Do not 

continue to use quotation marks (or 

italics) thereafter. 

See also italics. 

quotations—direct. With a direct quote 

from another publication, present it as 

originally published, and always include 

citations. Do not change the text. See 

also “References and Documentation” 

on page 13. 

R 

rank and file n.; rank-and-file adj. 

Hyphenate only when used as an adjective. 

EXAMPLES: “The rank and file will vote on 

the contract. Rank-and-file officers will vote 

on the contract.” 

real time n.; real-time adj. Hyphenate 

only when used as an adjective. 

record keeping n.; record-keeping adj. 

Hyphenate only when used as an adjective. 

re-create. Hyphenate to mean “to create 

again.” See also prefixes. 

reelect. Always one word; no hyphen. 

See also prefixes. 

The Big Grammar and Usage List 53 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

reentry. Always one word; no hyphen. 

See also prefixes. 

references. See “References and 

Documentation” on page 13. 

representative. Use representative 

when first introducing a U.S. House 

member. However, congressman/ 

congresswoman may be used subsequently 

when not attached to a name. See also job 

titles. 

roundtable. One word to describe a 

discussion-based meeting of peers; two 

words (round table) to describe furniture. 

S 

SARA. A problem-oriented policing model, 

developed by Herman Goldstein in 1979, 

that stands for scanning, analysis, response, 

and assessment. Note: The spelled-out 

version of SARA is lowercase because the 

four words are not proper nouns, just like 

the spelled-out version of HIV or CompStat 

(computer statistics). 

seasons. Lowercase all seasons: i.e., spring, 

summer, fall, and winter. 

semi. As a general rule, do not hyphenate. 

EXAMPLES: semiannual; semicolon; 

semiautomatic; semi-independent. 

See also prefixes. 

semicolons: 

adverbs: When an adverb (e.g., 

therefore, however, and rather) joins two 

sentences, a semicolon should precede the 

adverb, and a comma should follow it. 

EXAMPLE: “The solution cannot depend on 

a few individuals; rather, it needs to 

become routine at the city level.” 

connection: Use a semicolon to join two 

sentences to show the two are closely 

connected. Do not include a conjunction 

(and, but, or). EXAMPLE: “The police officer 

spent a lot of time getting to know the 

community; the neighbors began to feel 

more comfortable calling the police 

department for help.” 

series within series: Use semicolons to 

separate groups of items that contain 

internal commas. EXAMPLE: “The problem 

can be divided into three components: 

overall trend; seasonal, daily, and weekly 

cycles; and random fluctuations.” 

two subtitles: If a source has two subtitles 

(never preferred), use a colon to separate 

the title and first subtitle, and use a 

semicolon to separate the two subtitles. 

September 11. When modifying a noun, the 

year is not necessary unless there is the risk 

of ambiguity. As an alternative, 9/11 is 

acceptable if the reference is understood, 

but pick one version per document. Do not 

use 9-11. EXAMPLES: the September 11 

attacks; the attacks of September 11, 2001. 

serial commas. In a list of three or more 

items, include a comma before the 

conjunction. EXAMPLE: red, white, and blue. 

See also commas. 

set up v.; setup n. As a verb, spell as two 

words. As a noun, spell as one word. 

EXAMPLES: “He will set up the computer. 

My workstation setup is ergonomic.” 

54 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

sex. Refers to biological identification; not 

to be confused with gender. See gender. 

sheriff’s office. See law enforcement agencies. 

signature. For all letters, the format should 

be as follows: the person’s name on the 

first line; their position or title on the 

second line; and the complete name of the 

company, division, or institution on the final 

line (or lines). See “Letter from the COPS 

Office director and other agencies’ letters” 

on page 11. 

smartphone. Always one word. 

staff. Whether staff takes a singular or 

plural verb depends on how staff is being 

used. If the staff is acting together as a 

single unit, staff takes a singular verb. If the 

members of the staff are acting as 

individuals, then staff takes a plural verb; 

however, in such cases, it’s better to use 

staff members. EXAMPLES: “The COPS 

Office staff is working together. COPS Office 

staff (members) are reviewing applications 

and award documents.” 

start up v.; startup n.; start-up adj. As a 

verb, spell as two words. As a noun, spell as 

one word. As an adjective, hyphenate. 

state. Lowercase, even when used in state 

of constructions and when used as an 

adjective to specify the jurisdiction level. 

Capitalize state when it is part of a formal, 

proper name. EXAMPLES: the state; 

the state representative; the state of 

Washington; Washington State; state 

police department; State Department of 

Corrections. See also attorney general, 

state attorney general, law enforcement 

agencies, and state names. 

state attorney general. See attorney 

general and job titles. 

state’s attorney’s office. See attorney 

general’s office and job titles. 

state names: 

citations: For the publisher’s information, 

use postal abbreviations for states, and do 

not use periods (e.g., DC). In both 

references and notes, well-known cities can 

be listed without a state abbreviation: e.g., 

Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, 

New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. 

When the publisher is a university that 

includes its state (or Canadian province) in 

its name, do not repeat the state (or 

province) in the publisher’s location. 

EXAMPLES: New Paltz, NY: Codhill Press; 

Pittsburgh: Autumn House Press; Logan: 

Utah State University Press. See also 

“References and Documentation” on 

page 13. 

commas: When providing the city 

and state, enclose the state in commas. 

EXAMPLE: “Communities in Byram, 

New Jersey, assisted the police in 

problem solving.” 

lists: Spelling out states is preferable, 

but lists, tables, and charts (especially in 

items such as agendas, workshops, or 

conference programs) can use the postal 

abbreviations. However, include the use 

of periods (including D.C.). 

prose: As a general rule in running text, 

spell out the names of states, territories, 

and possessions of the United States when 

they are used alone (including the District 

The Big Grammar and Usage List 55 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

of Columbia) and when they follow the 

name of a city (except for Washington, 

D.C.). EXAMPLE: “Police officers in 

Washington, D.C., and Montgomery 

County, Maryland, participated in the 

training program.” 

semicolons: Use a semicolon to separate 

more than two cities and states. EXAMPLE: 

“Police officers in Montgomery County, 

Maryland; Washington, D.C.; and 

Alexandria, Virginia, participated in the 

training program.” 

See also addresses, county names, 

D.C./DC, law enforcement agencies, and 

semicolons. 

statewide. Always one word; no hyphen. 

subject matter expert. No hyphen. 

system-wide. Always hyphenate. 

T 

tables. See “Figures, tables, and photos” on 

page 8. 

table of contents. Use Contents instead. 

telephone numbers. Use hyphens as 

separators, except for numbers such 

as 911, 311, and 411. The same style applies 

to fax numbers. EXAMPLE: 800-123-4567. 

they/their. See pronouns. 

time. Lowercase a.m. and p.m., and 

use periods. EXAMPLE: 8:00 a.m. 

See also a.m., numbers, p.m., time zones. 

time frame. Two words; no hyphen. 

time zones. Capitalize Eastern Time (or 

Central, Mountain, Pacific, etc.); abbreviate 

ET (CT, MT, PT, etc.) rather than Eastern 

Standard Time / EST or Eastern Daylight 

Time / EDT. 

timeline. Always one word. 

titles. See capitalization—sentence 

case, job titles, and law enforcement agencies. 

toolkit. Always one word. 

toward. Do not include “s” at the end; 

towards is British. 

trademarks. These symbols are not legally 

required and thus can be omitted. If a 

publication does include them, use a 

trademark only upon first mention. 

trade-off. Always hyphenate. 

transgender. Not transgendered. 

See also LGBTQ. 

tribal. Do not capitalize when it is not part 

of a proper name. See also ethnicities, 

Indian country, and Tribal Government. 

Tribal Government. Always capitalize. 

See also Federal Government. 

truth telling n.; truth-telling adj. Hyphenate 

only when used as an adjective. EXAMPLES: 

“Most agencies find truth telling and 

reconciliation necessary in forming a 

partnership with the community. The 

meeting will discuss the truth-telling 

process.” 

56 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

turn around v.; turnaround n., adj. 

As a verb, spell as two words. As a noun 

or adjective, spell as one word. 

U 

UK. Spell out when used as a noun or as 

part of a proper name or legal case. 

Abbreviate when used as an adjective; 

do not use periods. EXAMPLES: UK law 

enforcement agencies; law enforcement 

agencies across the United Kingdom. See 

also U.S. and legal cases. 

United States. Spell out when used as a 

noun or as part of a proper name or legal 

case. Abbreviate when used as an adjective; 

use periods in U.S. EXAMPLES: the United 

States; United States Code; United States 

Steel Corp.; United States v. Smith; U.S. 

Department of Justice; U.S. Congress. See 

also acronyms, U.S., and legal cases. 

up to date prep. + n.; up-to-date adj. 

Hyphenate only when used as an adjective 

to modify another noun. EXAMPLE: “The 

software for this up-to-date technology is 

not up to date.” 

URL. In all lists (e.g., notes, references, and 

agendas), include “http://” (or, increasingly 

often, “https://”) in URLs. If at all possible, 

do not break URLs or email addresses. If a 

URL starts at the end of a line of text, carry 

it to the next line rather than breaking it 

apart. If a URL is too long to comply, break 

it at a backslash or some other symbol in 

the address rather than at a hyphen or 

underscore. In running text, shorten the 

URL to whatever reads best, but be 

consistent throughout the document. 

U.S. Abbreviate United States when 

used as an adjective. EXAMPLES: U.S. law 

enforcement agencies; law enforcement 

agencies across the United States. See also 

acronyms, UK, and United States. 

U.S. Attorney. See attorney general and 

job titles. 

U.S. Attorney’s Office. See attorney 

general’s office and job titles. 

U.S. Department of Justice. When 

U.S. Department of Justice precedes a 

division name, use a comma between the 

entities unless the possessive works better. 

EXAMPLES: U.S. Department of Justice, 

Office of Community Oriented Policing 

Services; U.S. Department of Justice’s 

Office of Justice Programs. 

U.S. Marshal. Capitalize when used as a job 

title either immediately before or after a 

person’s name. Lowercase when marshal 

is used alone. EXAMPLES: U.S. Marshal 

David Smith; the marshal arrived. See 

also job titles. 

U.S. Marshals Service. No apostrophe 

in Marshals. 

use of force. Never hyphenate. 

V 

variety. When using the variety, the verb 

should usually be singular. When using a 

variety, the verb should usually be plural. 

EXAMPLES: the variety of publications has; 

a variety of publications are. 

The Big Grammar and Usage List 57 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

versus. Always spell out versus in running 

text except when referring to legal cases, in 

which case use “v.” only, and italicize case 

names but not the “v.” However, using 

either “v.” or “vs.” in graphs, tables, and 

charts is okay, but choose one version per 

document. EXAMPLES: theft vs. drugs; John 

Jones v. Richard Smith. 

W 

web. Lowercase; however, the term 

internet is preferred. 

webcast. Always one word. 

web page. Two words. 

website. Always one word; lowercase. 

well. Hyphenate word combinations with 

well when used as an appositive adjective. If 

the adjective occurs in the predicate, the 

combination does not require a hyphen. 

EXAMPLE: “She was well known, but her 

well-read sister was not.” 

well-being. Always hyphenate. 

well-informed. Always hyphenate. 

white-collar crime. Hyphenate white 

collar in this instance because it’s 

modifying crime. 

white paper. Two words. 

-wide. Check Merriam-Webster’s dictionary for usage to determine if word 

combinations with -wide should be 

hyphenated; if a combination doesn’t 

appear in the dictionary as one word, 

hyphenate the combination. EXAMPLES: 

citywide; community-wide; nationwide; 

system-wide. 

workers’ compensation. Lowercase. 

Note the apostrophe after workers. 

work. Check Merriam-Webster’s dictionary 

for usage to determine if word combinations with work should be spelled as one or 

two words; if a combination doesn’t appear 

in the dictionary, spell the combination 

as two words. EXAMPLES: workflow; 

workforce; work group; workload; 

workplace; work plan; work release; work 

site; work space; workstation; workweek. 

worldwide. Always one word; no hyphen. 

X 

Xerox. Use when referring to the Xerox 

Corporation. Do not use as a verb; use 

photocopy or reproduce. 

X-ray. Always capitalize the X, and 

always hyphenate. 

Y 

year. Avoid starting a sentence with a 

year. If doing so is necessary, then spell 

out the year. EXAMPLE: “In 1994, the 

U.S. Department of Justice created 

the COPS Office.” See also dates 

and numbers. 

58 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors 
 

Abbreviations 

ATF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 

(no comma after Firearms) 

BJA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bureau of Justice Assistance 

BJS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bureau of Justice Statistics 

CALEA . . . . . . . . . . . . Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies 

COP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . community-oriented policing 

COPS Office. . . . . . . Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 

CPTED. . . . . . . . . . . . Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design 

D.A.R.E. . . . . . . . . . . Drug Abuse Resistance Education (note the periods; 

see also trademarks in the “Big Grammar and Usage List”) 

DEA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drug Enforcement Administration 

DHS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . U.S. Department of Homeland Security 

DOJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . U.S. Department of Justice 

EPIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . El Paso Intelligence Center (a section of the DEA) 

FBI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Federal Bureau of Investigation 

FLETC. . . . . . . . . . . . . Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers 

FOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fraternal Order of Police 

GAO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Government Accountability Office 

(formerly General Accounting Office) 

G.R.E.A.T.. . . . . . . . . Gang Resistance Education and Training (note the periods) 

GSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . U.S. General Services Administration 

HAPCOA. . . . . . . . . . Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association 

HIDTA . . . . . . . . . . . . High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area 

IACA . . . . . . . . . . . . . International Association of Crime Analysts 

IACLEA . . . . . . . . . . . International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators 

IACP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

59 

International Association of Chiefs of Police 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IADLEST. . . . . . . . . . International Association of Directors of 

Law Enforcement Standards and Training 

IALEIA . . . . . . . . . . . International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts 

IALEP . . . . . . . . . . . . International Association of Law Enforcement Planners 

IC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Intelligence Community (always initial caps) 

ICMA . . . . . . . . . . . . International City/County Management Association 

JJC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse 

JJRC . . . . . . . . . . . . . Juvenile Justice Resource Center 

JUSTINFO . . . . . . . . NCJRS biweekly electronic newsletter 

LAN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . local area network 

LEIU . . . . . . . . . . . . . Law Enforcement Intelligence Unit 

LEO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Law Enforcement Online, law enforcement officer 

MAN. . . . . . . . . . . . . metropolitan area network 

MCCA. . . . . . . . . . . . Major Cities Chiefs Association 

MCSA. . . . . . . . . . . . Major County Sheriffs of America 

NASRO. . . . . . . . . . . National Association of School Resource Officers 

National DEC . . . . . National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children (note the lack of hyphen; 

see also hyphenation in the “Big Grammar and Usage List”) 

NCFS. . . . . . . . . . . . . National Center for Forensic Science 

NCJRS. . . . . . . . . . . . National Criminal Justice Reference Service 

NCVS . . . . . . . . . . . . National Crime Victimization Survey 

NCWP . . . . . . . . . . . National Center for Women and Policing 

NIBRS. . . . . . . . . . . . National Incident-Based Reporting System 

NIJ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . National Institute of Justice 

NIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . National Institute of Standards and Technology 

NNALEA. . . . . . . . . . National Native American Law Enforcement Association 

NOBLE . . . . . . . . . . . National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives 

NSA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . National Sheriffs’ Association (apostrophe after Sheriffs) 

60 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual: Guide for Authors 
 

 

 

 

OJJDP . . . . . . . . . . . . Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

OJP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Office of Justice Programs 

OLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . Office of Law Enforcement Standards 

OLETC . . . . . . . . . . . . Office of Law Enforcement Technology Coordination 

ONDCP . . . . . . . . . . . Office of National Drug Control Policy 

OS&T. . . . . . . . . . . . . Office of Science and Technology 

OSW . . . . . . . . . . . . . officer safety and wellness 

OVC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Office for Victims of Crime 

OVW . . . . . . . . . . . . . Office on Violence Against Women 

PERF . . . . . . . . . . . . . Police Executive Research Forum 

POP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . problem-oriented policing 

POP Center . . . . . . . Center for Problem-Oriented Policing (note hyphen) 

POP Guides. . . . . . . Problem-Oriented Guides for Police 

(COPS Office publications) 

RCPI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Regional Community Policing Institute 

SACOP. . . . . . . . . . . . State Associations of Chiefs of Police 

(plurals for Associations and Chiefs) 

SAMHSA. . . . . . . . . . Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 

(U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) 

SARA. . . . . . . . . . . . . scanning, analysis, response, and assessment 

SRO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . school resource officer 

USCM . . . . . . . . . . . . U.S. Council of Mayors 

USMS . . . . . . . . . . . . U.S. Marshals Service (no apostrophe in Marshals) 

Abbreviations 61 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the COPS Office 

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) is the component of the U.S. 

Department of Justice responsible for advancing the practice of community policing by the 

nation’s state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies through information and 

grant resources. 

Community policing begins with a commitment to building trust and mutual respect between 

police and communities. It supports public safety by encouraging all stakeholders to work 

together to address our nation’s crime challenges. When police and communities collaborate, 

they more effectively address underlying issues, change negative behavioral patterns, and 

allocate resources. 

Rather than simply responding to crime, community policing focuses on preventing it through 

strategic problem-solving approaches based on collaboration. The COPS Office awards grants to 

hire community policing officers and support the development and testing of innovative policing 

strategies. COPS Office funding also provides training and technical assistance to community 

members and local government leaders, as well as all levels of law enforcement. 

Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to add community policing 

officers to the nation’s streets, enhance crime fighting technology, support crime prevention 

initiatives, and provide training and technical assistance to help advance community policing. 

Other achievements include the following: 

• To date, the COPS Office has funded the hiring of approximately 130,000 additional officers 

by more than 13,000 of the nation’s 18,000 law enforcement agencies in both small and 

large jurisdictions. 

• Nearly 700,000 law enforcement personnel, community members, and government leaders 

have been trained through COPS Office–funded training organizations. 

• Almost 500 agencies have received customized advice and peer-led technical assistance 

through the COPS Office Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center. 

• To date, the COPS Office has distributed more than eight million topic-specific publications, 

training curricula, white papers, and resource CDs and flash drives. 

• The COPS Office also sponsors conferences, roundtables, and other forums focused on 

issues critical to law enforcement. 

COPS Office information resources, covering a wide range of community policing topics such as 

school and campus safety, violent crime, and officer safety and wellness, can be downloaded via 

the COPS Office’s home page, https://cops.usdoj.gov. 

62 

U.S. Department of Justice 

Offce of Community Oriented Policing Services 

145 N Street NE 

Washington, DC 20530 

To obtain details on COPS Offce programs, call 

the COPS Offce Response Center at 800-421-6770. 

Visit the COPS Offce online at cops.usdoj.gov.