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The COPS Office 

Editorial and Graphics 

Style Manual 

Third Edition 

The COPS Office 

Editorial and Graphics 

Style Manual

Third Edition

Editors

Erin P.T. Canning

Marian Haggard
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:

Canning, Erin P.T., and Marian E. Haggard, eds. 2014. The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual. 3rd ed. Washington, 

DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. http://ric-zai-inc.com/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-W0434. 

First edition 2007

Second edition 2011 

Third edition 2014 
Contents

Letter from the Director..................................................................................................................... v

Introduction ......................................................................................................................................1

The Publishing Process.......................................................................................................................3

Development............................................................................................................................................. 3

Refinement................................................................................................................................................ 4

Production................................................................................................................................................. 4

Preparing Manuscript Documents for Submission...............................................................................7

General copy requirements...................................................................................................................... 7

Illustrations: figures, charts, graphs, tables, and photos.......................................................................... 8

Manuscript approval...............................................................................................................................10

References and Documentation .......................................................................................................11

Text citations and references..................................................................................................................11

Footnotes and endnotes.........................................................................................................................12

Examples.................................................................................................................................................13

Books and published reports..............................................................................................................13

Journal articles and other periodicals................................................................................................. 14

Newspaper or magazine articles.........................................................................................................15

Series and multivolumes.....................................................................................................................15

Unpublished documents.....................................................................................................................16

Websites or web pages.......................................................................................................................16

Authors, editors, and translators........................................................................................................17

Permissions and credits ..........................................................................................................................18

Standards for Publication Design and Production..............................................................................21

Program format.......................................................................................................................................21

Fonts........................................................................................................................................................21

Layout: interior........................................................................................................................................22

Illustrative materials ...............................................................................................................................23

Organization of content..........................................................................................................................24

Front matter........................................................................................................................................24

Back matter.........................................................................................................................................24

Required pages .......................................................................................................................................24

Disclaimer ...........................................................................................................................................24

About the COPS Office........................................................................................................................25

Letter from the COPS Office director..................................................................................................26

Copyright and COPS Office publications................................................................................................. 26

iii
Covers......................................................................................................................................................26

Front cover..........................................................................................................................................26

Back cover...........................................................................................................................................27

Files released for print ............................................................................................................................28

File management ....................................................................................................................................28

508 compliance.......................................................................................................................................29

Editing/Proofreading Marks.............................................................................................................31

Commonly Confused Words.............................................................................................................35

The Big Grammar List.......................................................................................................................39

A ..............................................................................................................................................................39

B ..............................................................................................................................................................41

C ..............................................................................................................................................................43

D ..............................................................................................................................................................46

E ...............................................................................................................................................................47

F ...............................................................................................................................................................48

G ..............................................................................................................................................................48

H ..............................................................................................................................................................48

I................................................................................................................................................................49

J ...............................................................................................................................................................50

K ..............................................................................................................................................................51

L ...............................................................................................................................................................51

M .............................................................................................................................................................51

N ..............................................................................................................................................................52

O ..............................................................................................................................................................54

P ..............................................................................................................................................................54

Q ..............................................................................................................................................................56

R ..............................................................................................................................................................57

S ...............................................................................................................................................................57

T ...............................................................................................................................................................59

U ..............................................................................................................................................................59

V ..............................................................................................................................................................60

W .............................................................................................................................................................60

X ..............................................................................................................................................................61

Y ...............................................................................................................................................................61

Abbreviations..................................................................................................................................63

COPS Office Divisions and Programs................................................................................................. 67

About the COPS Office .....................................................................................................................68

iv The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
Letter from the Director

Dear colleagues,

The COPS Office is proud to present the third installment of The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style 

Manual. This up-to-date, expanded 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 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 join this lineage of high-quality products. 

Sincerely,

v 

Ronald L. Davis, Director

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

Introduction 

The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual is the primary writing, editing, and graphics style 

reference for COPS Office publications and related materials (e.g., correspondence, reports, and forms). 

It includes examples of references and other types of documentation; instructions on formatting and 

design; 508 compliance; permissions; our disclaimer; a list of editorial/proofreading marks; and

alphabetical lists of commonly confused words, grammar tips, and acronyms. 

The COPS Office has an interest in ensuring that all internal documents, official written correspondence, 

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

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 documents. 

The guidelines herein are based on The Chicago Manual of Style1 (16th edition) and the U.S. Government 

Printing Office Style Manual: An Official Guide to the Form and Style of Federal Government Printing2

(2008 edition), with exceptions reflecting our own common use, along with points that are hard to 

remember or hard to find or that represent changes as style evolves. “The Big Grammar List”—an A to Z 

listing of guides to capitalization, abbreviation, spelling, numerals, usage, and more—begins on page 39. 

Use it as you would a dictionary.

The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual is by no means comprehensive. If the manual does 

not cover a question of an editorial nature, use The Chicago Manual of Style as your next reference and 

then the GPO Style Manual. If neither answers a style question, use The Associated Press Stylebook and 

Libel Manual3 as the fourth reference. It addresses matters that the other two do not. All three 

publications are available in hard cover. 

For correct spelling, definitions, and word division, use the most recent edition of Merriam-Webster’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 or ideas. 

For legal citations, use The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, latest edition.5

 

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

http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html. 

2. See “U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual,” http://www.gpoaccess.gov/stylemanual/browse.html. 

3. The Associated Press Stylebook is available online by paid annual subscription at http://www.apstylebook.com. 

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

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

1 

 

The Publishing Process

Once the author has finished drafting the manuscript and submitted it to the project manager (PM), the 

general 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 it meets the goals of the award and project, 

addresses the appropriate topic and audience, etc. Afterward, the PM works with the author to 

address any questions or suggestions. 

2. Peer review (~3 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 subject 

matter experts do not require peer review. 

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. 

The Publishing Process 3 
Refinement

3. Editing (~2 weeks): After approving the necessary changes, the PM submits the manuscript for

editing. A COPS Office editor reviews the manuscript for grammar, consistency, and comprehension

and ensures 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 11.

4. PM/author’s editorial review (~1 week): After reviewing the edits, the PM forwards the manuscript

to the author for review and approval. Again the PM works with the author until both, plus the

editor, deem the final manuscript acceptable.

5. Vetting (~3 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.

Production

6. Layout (~2 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.

7. 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 “Illustrations: figures, charts, graphs, tables, and photos” on page 8.

8. Publication (~4 weeks): After the PM sends the designers an e-mail stating 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.

4 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
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

compliant 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

Whether manuscripts are written internally or externally, authors must prepare 

manuscripts intended for publication by the COPS Office according to certain 

standards. These standards encourage cleanly prepared documents that help 

ensure the authors’ intent, save time in development, decrease the number of 

rounds of review—saving time and money—and enable allocation of more time 

to quality control. 

The COPS Office editor reviews and edits all submitted manuscripts to bring 

them into compliance with The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style 

Manual—the primary editing reference for publications produced by the COPS 

Office. It provides the correct forms for references, graphic design, 508 

compliance, permissions, and use of acronyms and ensures by these standards a 

consistency of form and expression. 

As stated in the introduction to this style manual, the standard sources are based primarily on The 

Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition), GPO Style Manual (2008 edition), and, when necessary, The AP 

Stylebook. A copy of The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual—Guide for Authors is included 

in every award packet sent from the COPS Office. Please familiarize yourself with this document and use 

it as a guideline when preparing written materials for any and all COPS Office publications. 

General copy requirements 

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

1. Submit the manuscript in Microsoft Word. Also, turn off “Track Changes,” and accept all

revisions.

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

content from other sources must be properly cited. (See “References and Documentation” on

page 11.)

3. Ensure endnotes, footnotes, and references are formatted consistently. See “References and

Documentation” on page 11.

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

5. Number, title, and reference all illustrations (figures, charts, etc.) in text. See “Illustrations:

figures, charts, graphs, tables, and photos” on page 8.

6. Verify all URL addresses in the manuscript.

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:

a. Body Text

7 

These standards 

help ensure the 

authors’ intent, 

save time in 

development, and 

decrease the 

number of rounds 

of review. 
b. List Number

c. List Bullet

d. Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, etc.

e. Footnote Text

2. All notes should be dynamic: i.e., they link to their text references.

Illustrations: figures, charts, graphs, tables, and photos

Author guidelines for incorporating these types of illustrations are as follows: 

1. Identification: Above each figure, chart, graph, and table, the author must provide an

identifying number followed by a period and title. The author should use sentence case but not

end the title with a period. The authors/editors may use their own discretion for

numbering/organizing these illustrations but must label them consistently.

Example: Figure 1. Components of multiple casualty violence prevention

Example: Table 7.3. Agencies participating in site visits

2. Text reference: The author must reference all figures, charts, graphs, and tables in the text.

Example: (See figure 3.)

3. Placement: The author can place illustrations in the manuscript’s body of text, the manuscript’s

appendix, or in a separate document. In all three scenarios, each figure, chart, graph, and table

still requires an identifying number and title placed above it.

a. If placed in the manuscript, the illustration should be as close to its reference in text as

possible.

b. If the authors provide the illustration in a separate document or as separate files, the

authors should place a noticeable sentence in brackets in the manuscript that indicates

where they want the illustration to appear. Example: [Place figure X here.]

c. If the illustration appears in an appendix, the author can add an “A” to the identifying

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

4. Captions: Authors should use sentence case and place them beneath photos, etc. Captions

conclude with periods if they are complete sentences. However, if the majority of captions

throughout the publication are complete sentences, then even fragmented captions should

conclude with periods for the sake of consistency.

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

members about youth safety.

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

members about youth safety

8 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
5. Permissions and credits: The author is responsible for obtaining

these from the copyright holder of all figures, charts, graphs,

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 11), 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)—and submit the permissions and c

copyrighted item to the COPS Office prior to vetting. See “Permissions and credits” on page 18.

6. Supplying images: The COPS Office accepts the following formats: .jpg, .tif, .eps, .ai, .psd, and

.bmp. Vector images (.eps and .ai; typically Adobe Illustrator) are most desirable because they

are not resolution-dependent. Raster images (.jpg and .tif) should be no less than a printing

resolution of 300 dpi unless the publication is only for the web, in which case 72 dpi is sufficient.

Note: Even if the intention of a publication is that it be web only, the higher resolution is still

desirable, as web users may print the publication or the COPS Office may print it at a

later date.

Graphic images placed or inserted into Microsoft Word documents are not desirable. Unless the

author has already collected or packaged the graphic images with an InDesign file, the author

should provide the graphic image files in their original form. If transmitted via e-mail 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), as a rule, 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. In such cases, graphics embedded in 

Microsoft Word are acceptable only for visual guidance. 

Furthermore, COPS Office graphic designers try to place these elements on the same page where 

referenced or on the page facing the text reference. If the size or nature of a particular element makes 

that impossible, the designers place the element on a following page, as close as possible, that 

references that element. In addition, the text reference then includes the page number of the element. 

Example: As shown in figure 8 on page 43.... 

If the author submits a manuscript that is not wholly in compliance with the above 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. 

redits for each

Preparing Manuscript Documents for Submission 9 

The author is 

responsible for 

obtaining 

permissions and 

credits.
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 author(s). When the PM and author 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.

• Comment on the editor’s changes that the PM/author disagrees with; don’t delete them. Note:

Usually dialogue between the author/PM and editor reveals the missing link between what the 

author’s trying to convey and what the author is (or is 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.

10 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
References and Documentation

Authors must provide citations (and sometimes permissions) for 

quotations or paraphrased material that originated from another source. 

The COPS Office uses the formats described here for all original writing 

and in creating endnotes and references for documents. We ask that our 

grantees and contributing authors use the same format when preparing 

documents for the COPS Office. The format is based on The Chicago 

Manual of Style (16th edition), which may be consulted 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, 

not accuracy. 

Text citations and references

Text citations are an abbreviated parenthetical author-date reference 

that refers readers to an alphabetical reference list. This list includes 

references to all books and other forms of documentation used 

throughout the publication. The reference list is located at the end of the publication or at the end of 

each chapter to which it applies. 

Author-date citations in the manuscript must agree exactly, in both name and date, with the 

corresponding entries in the reference list, and there must be an entry for every text citation. A text (or 

end of block quotation) citation should use the author’s last name followed by the year of the 

publication—with no comma between the two. 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)

11

another source.

Authors must 

provide 

citations (and 

sometimes 

permissions) for 

quotations or 

paraphrased 

material that 

originated from 
Footnotes and endnotes

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

any supporting information. Endnotes are suited for publications with many sources that would 

otherwise crowd the bottom of a publication if presented as footnotes. However, because endnotes are 

far away from their text references, the author needs to provide the entire citation (e.g., author, title, 

and publisher) and try not to overwhelm the reader with too many uses of “ibid.,” which basically means 

“same as before.” 

For example, if two consecutive notes refer to the same citation, replace the second citation with ibid.

instead of providing the full citation again. If the second note identifies a different page, then simply 

provide the page number after ibid. Example: Ibid., 3. 

If a repeated citation appears two or more notes earlier in its full form, use the author’s last name,

approximately four key words of the title, and the page number. Then, add in parentheses the number 

of the prior note that provides the entire citation. Examples: Meares, “Legitimacy of Police,” 654 (see 

note 23); Kennedy, Deterrence and Crime Prevention, 2 (see note 1). 

If the manuscript includes a reference list in addition to notes, the notes themselves do not need to 

include the full citation. Instead, all notes can be shortened to their abbreviated form (i.e., the author’s 

last name, four key words of the title, and the page number), which takes up much less room at the 

bottom of the laid out publication. Example:

Reference: 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. 

http://www.d.umn.edu/~jmaahs/Correctional%20Assessment/Articles/Braga_prob

lem_oriented%20policing_deterrence.pdf. 

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

Violence,” 195–226.

If a note provides several citations, separate each citation with semicolons. 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.

As for numbering, endnotes may appear at the end of the publication or at the end of each 

section/chapter. Endnotes always begin with Arabic numbers. The COPS Office editor determines which 

is most appropriate.

12 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
Footnotes are usually at the bottom of the page and should be set up using InDesign’s footnote layout 

options. Footnotes may also be placed in the outside margins of a page. The COPS Office editor and 

designer determine whether to organize notes numerically or with symbols. Typically, footnotes should 

begin with Arabic numbers; however, if a document includes both endnotes and footnotes, the 

footnotes should begin with symbols and use the following sequence: * † ‡ §. If a page has more than 

four symbols, double the sequence: ** †† ‡‡ §§. 

Footnote/endnote reference numbers in text are superscript and follow any punctuation mark 

except for the dash. In the notes themselves, the numbers are full size, not superscript, and followed 

by a period. 

Examples

In the following examples, pay special attention to punctuation—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 17.)

• 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 (CA, DC, TX, and IL).

• Catalog numbers: If available, provide the NCJ number at the end of a citation, before the URL

or doi.

• URL and doi: When available, provide one or the other at the end of the citation.

The examples below are provided in two formats: N = note and R = reference.

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., reference or note.

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

Sanction. New York: Routledge.

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

(New York: Routledge, 2008).

References and Documentation 13

Pay special 

attention to 

punctuation—

periods, 

commas, order 

of names, etc.
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.

R: Cohen, Jacqueline, and Jens Ludwig. 2003. “Policing Crime Guns.” In Evaluating Gun Policy: 

Effects on Crime and Violence, edited by Jens Judwig and Philip J. Cook. Washington, DC: 

Brookings Institution Press. http://repository.cmu.edu/heinzworks/204/. 

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.

N: 2. Jacqueline Cohen and Jens Ludwig, “Policing Crime Guns,” in Evaluating Gun Policy: Effects on 

Crime and Violence, ed. Jens Judwig and Philip J. Cook (Washington, DC: Brookings Institution 

Press, 2003), http://repository.cmu.edu/heinzworks/204/. 

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

Crime in America, ed. Jeremy Travis and Christy Visher (New York: Cambridge University Press, 

n.d.), 105–138.

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. 

For references, if the citation provides a season or month instead of an issue number, it takes the place 

of the issue number in the parentheses. For notes, the season/month appears in the parentheses, 

before the year. 

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. “ProblemOriented Policing, Deterrence, and Youth Violence: An Evaluation of Boston’s Operation 

Ceasefire.” Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 38 (August): 195–226. 

http://www.d.umn.edu/~jmaahs/Correctional%20Assessment/Articles/Braga_problem_orie

nted%20policing_deterrence.pdf. 

Mitchell, Ojmarrh, David B. Wilson, Amy Eggers, and Doris L. MacKenzie. 2012. “The Effects of 

Drug Court on Criminal Offending.” Campbell Systematic Reviews 8(4). 

doi:10.4073/csr.2012.4.

14 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
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, 

http://www.d.umn.edu/~jmaahs/Correctional%20Assessment/Articles/Braga_problem_oriente

d%20policing_deterrence.pdf. 

25. Ojmarrh Mitchell et al., “The Effects of Drug Court on Criminal Offending,” Campbell 

Systematic Reviews 8, no. 4 (2012), doi:10.4073/csr.2012.4.

Newspaper or magazine articles 

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

the news source and the date.

R: Dehnart, Andy. 2011. “Beyond Scared Straight’s Real-Life Controversy.” The Daily Beast, 

February 23. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/02/23/beyond-scared-straightsreal-life-controversy.html. 

Blum, Justin, and Yolanda Woodlee. 2001. “Trying To Give Kids a Good Scare.” Washington Post, 

June 3, C01. 

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

23, 2011, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/02/23/beyond-scared-straights-real-lifecontroversy.html. 

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

June 3, 2001, C01.

Series and multivolumes

When citing a publication that exits within a series (indefinite amount) or multivolume (planned number 

of volumes), the title of the series or multivolume appears just after the individual publication’s, 

separated by either a period (for references) or comma (for notes). While publication titles are italicized, 

series and multivolume titles are not.

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

Institute of Justice. NCJ 137057. https://www.ncjrs.gov/app/Search/

Abstracts.aspx?id=137057. 

Felson, Marcus. 2003. “The Process of Co-Offending.” In Theory for Practice in Situational Crime 

Prevention, edited by Martha Smith and Derek B. Cornish. Vol. 16 of Crime Prevention 

Studies. Monsey, NY: Criminal Justice Press.

References and Documentation 15 
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.

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

of Justice, 1992), NCJ 137057, https://www.ncjrs.gov/app/Search/Abstracts.aspx?id=137057. 

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

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

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

91. George T. Patterson, Irene W. Chung, and Philip G. Swan, 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, 2012). 

Unpublished documents 

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

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

included if available. 

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. 

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

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

University.

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 dissertation, Department of Psychology, Mississippi State 

University, 1990. 

Websites or web pages

First, URLs should take users directly to the cited source, not to the homepage that hosts the source. 

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” first 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 18.)

16 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
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. 

R: Chicago Manual of Style. 2014. “Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide.” Accessed January 15, 2014. 

http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. 

YouTube. 2013. “Statistics.” Accessed December 23, 2013. 

http://www.youtube.com/yt/press/statistics.html. 

COPS Office (Office of Community Oriented Policing Services). 2013. “Not In Our Town: Working 

Together for Safe, Inclusive Communities.” Last modified May 6, 2013. 

http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=2679. 

N: 112. “Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide,” Chicago Manual of Style, accessed January 15, 2014, 

http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. 

113. “Statistics,” YouTube, accessed December 23, 2013, 

http://www.youtube.com/yt/press/statistics.html. 

114. “Not In Our Town: Working Together for Safe, Inclusive Communities,” Office of 

Community Oriented Policing Services, last modified May 6, 2013,

http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=2679. 

Authors, editors, and translators

More than one author 

In references, the first author’s name is inverted, providing the last name first; all other author names 

appear in normal order with commas separating each. If the reference includes more than six authors, 

after the sixth name, replace the rest with et al.

In notes, all names appear in normal order. If the note includes more than three authors, only the first 

author’s name appears in full, followed by et al.

R: Mazerolle, Lorraine, Sarah Bennett, Jacqueline Davis, Elise Sargeant, and Matthew Manning. 

2013. “Legitimacy in Policing: A Systematic Review.” Campbell Systematic Reviews 9(1). 

doi:10.4073/csr.2013.1.

N: 118. Lorraine Mazerolle et al., “Legitimacy in Policing: A Systematic Review.” Campbell 

Systematic Reviews 9, no. 1 (2013), doi:10.4073/csr.2013.1.

References and Documentation 17
Only editors or translators

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

in the citation. 

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

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

Same author and publisher

In general, references that cite a work written and produced by the same entity include 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 16). 

On the other hand, because notes do not depend on the author-date system, the author’s name is best

placed in the publisher’s position.

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. http://ric-zai-inc.com/Publications/cops-p157-pub.pdf. 

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). http://ric-zai-inc.com/Publications/cops-p157-pub.pdf. 

Permissions and credits

Authors must secure the appropriate permissions to use illustrative materials 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 materials, 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 materials and the appropriate credit language for each type 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...

18 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
Authors must also provide a source citation for each illustration used. Examples:

R: Reproduced with permission from 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): 197. http://www.d.umn.edu/~jmaahs/Correctional%20Assessment/Articles/ 

Braga_problem_oriented%20policing_deterrence.pdf. 

Adapted from Braga et al. 2001, 197.

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.ncjrs.gov/app/Search/Abstracts.aspx?id=137057. 

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 11). If the citation appears in the references list, the author 

need provide only the shortened format in the source line.

References and Documentation 19

Standards for Publication Design and Production

The graphic standards outlined here represent the baseline standards for all publication design and 

layout by the COPS Office. Except in rare circumstances, COPS Office graphic designers internally 

produce all design and layout and handle production preparation. 

Some publications are part of a series for which the graphic designers have previously developed a 

design template. All freestanding reports and publications contain a COPS Office disclaimer statement

(see “Disclaimer” on page 24). Some page layouts in these publications are predetermined or 

“boilerplate,” such as the copyright page or back cover, although some of the language changes per 

publication. 

Other than those instances, the creative direction of each publication is the purview of the COPS Office 

publication 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. Ultimately, the project manager e-mails final design approval to the graphic 

designers. 

Program format 

Adobe InDesign CS6 (Windows) page layout and design software, in conjunction with the rest of the 

Adobe Creative Suite, 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 CS2 or 

above and must be properly packaged with linked image files and fonts. The package should contain a 

PDF for reference. 

COPS Office designers convert publications created in QuarkXpress to InDesign CS6 if possible; 

otherwise, QuarkXpress is not supported. Microsoft Publisher is not supported.

Submit work on a disc or as an e-mail file attachment no larger than 8 MB. The COPS Office recommends 

zipping a folder of multiple files for transfer. 

Fonts 

Use only fonts from the COPS Office library of OpenType fonts. In the event illustrations use other font 

formats, convert them to outline paths. Do not use fonts that are not in the OpenType library. If the 

designer must use a different font format (e.g., PostScript or TrueType), convert it to outline paths.

Use Suitcase to manage fonts. 

21
If using supplied fonts that are not OpenType and cannot be substituted with a corresponding OpenType 

font from the COPS Office Font Library, create a folder in Suitcase for a separate font set to manage the 

supplied font. The folder can be a Set folder designated and named for the project or placed in a Set 

folder titled Client or Temporary.

Layout: interior 

Bleed: Bleeds should extend 1/8 inch / .125 inch / p9 beyond the page. 

Color: The interior of most COPS Office publications is 2-color, usually black and PMS spot color. The 

designers and PMs should work together to determine the best design for audience and usage. This 

palette can be carried into the illustrative materials. Interiors can also be 1-color, either black or a dark 

enough hue of another spot color. However, if a publication is being digitally printed or is for only the 

web, the designer can use full color (RGB for web and CMYK for print). 

Contents page: If the publication contains a Contents page, set up InDesign so that it automatically 

generates and updates this list when interior alterations occur. Build a Contents page style based on the 

Paragraph styles used in the document. Headers and footers can appear on this page. 

Disclaimer page: Headers and footers do not appear on this page. Photo credits for the front cover do.

Folio: Number the cover page section as “a.” Beginning with the title page, number the front matter 

section in lower-case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.) until page 1 of the introduction or first chapter. 

Depending on the design of the header, use either a drop folio or blind folio for the opening page of a 

new chapter, leaving the header empty. 

Hyphens: Do not stack more than two hyphens within a paragraph.

Images: Link and update images within the saved package. See “File management” on page 28. 

Master pages: Design and apply master pages throughout the publication. 

Notes—endnotes: Endnotes may appear at the end of the publication or at the end of each 

section/chapter. Endnotes always begin with Arabic numbers. The COPS Office editor determines which 

is most appropriate.

Notes—footnotes: Footnotes are usually at the bottom of the page and should be set up using 

InDesign’s footnote layout options. Footnotes may also be placed in the outside margins of a page. The 

COPS Office editor and designer determine whether to organize notes numerically or with symbols. 

Typically, footnotes should begin with Arabic numbers; however, if a document includes both endnotes 

and footnotes, the footnotes should begin with symbols and use the following sequence: * † ‡ §. If a 

page has more than four symbols, double the sequence: ** †† ‡‡ §§. 

22 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
Notes—illustrations and sidebars: Notes should be placed directly below their illustrations (e.g., table) 

or sidebars, not at the bottom of the page or end of the document, and use symbols not Arabic 

numbers. Again, use the following sequence: * † ‡ §. If an illustration or sidebar has more than four 

symbols, double the sequence: ** †† ‡‡ §§. 

Paragraphs: Alignment should be flush left; do not indent paragraphs. Add space after paragraphs 

rather than using multiple returns. Adjust spacing to eliminate and prevent orphans and widows.

Paragraphs are allowed to break across spreads with a minimum of three lines at the bottom or top of 

the pages.

Spacing: No double spaces after a period. 

Styles: Strictly employ paragraph and character styles. This practice helps ensure consistency of style 

and assists in the subsequent tagging operations required for creating 508 compliant publications. See 

also “508 compliance” on page 29. 

Illustrative materials

Illustrative materials include figures, charts, graphs, tables, and photos. For these, 

the COPS Office accepts the following formats: .jpg, .tif, .eps, .ai, .psd, and .bmp. 

Raster images should be no less than a printing resolution of 300 dpi unless the 

publication is only for the web, in which case 72 dpi may be sufficient. Note: Even if

e no less than 

a printing 

resolution of 

300 dpi unless 

he publication 

b

t

the intention of a publication is that it be web only, the higher resolution is still 

desirable, as web users may print the publication or the COPS Office may print it at 

a later date.

Standards for Publication Design and Production 23

Images should 

is only for 

the web. 
Before releasing files to print, the designers should convert all linked graphics to CMYK or grayscale. 

The designers should also covert fonts used in graphics created in Adobe Illustrator to paths when the 

publication is complete. Throughout the revision and approval process, archive an editable version in 

the Art folder located in the project’s Design folder.

See also “File management” on page 28. 

Organization of content

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

Front matter

• Title page

• Disclaimer page

o Disclaimer

o Author’s copyright information

o Recommended citation

o ISBN

o Year of publication

• (Table of) Contents

• Letter from the COPS Office director

• Letters from other organizational heads

• Foreword

• Preface

• Acknowledgments

• Introduction

• Text

Back matter

• Appendixes

• Abbreviations

• Glossary

• Notes

• References

• About the authors

• About other organizations

• About the COPS Office

Required pages

Disclaimer 

Typically, the following disclaimer, which includes the grant or cooperative agreement information, 

appears on the copyright page. A statement regarding the viability of any Internet references, the ISBN, 

and the year of publication follow the grant information paragraph. 

24 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
The COPS Office project manager provides the editor with the grant or cooperative agreement number, 

and the following language appears in each project: 

This project was supported by cooperative agreement / grant number XXXX-XX-XXXXXX awarded by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. 

Department of Justice. 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(s) nor the COPS Office can vouch for their current validity. 

Beneath the disclaimer, list the recommended citation, ISBN, and year of publication. Example:

Recommended citation:

Canning, Erin P.T., and Marian E. Haggard, eds. 2014. The COPS Office Editorial and 

Graphics Style Manual. 3rd ed. Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented 

Policing Services. http://ric-zai-inc.com/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-W0434. 

ISBN: XXX-X-XXXXXX-XX-X 

Published [year]

COPS Office publications usually include an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) even though the 

office cannot issue its publications for sale. Exceptions include white papers, CD-ROMs, meeting reports, 

brochures, etc.

For reprints, revisions, and new editions, use the following language beneath the ISBN (use 

periods only when both dates appear on the same line): 

Reprints: First published [year]. Reprinted [year].

Revisions (<20%): First published [year]. Revised [year].

New editions (>20%): First edition [year]. Second edition [year].

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. 

Standards for Publication Design and Production 25
Letter from the COPS Office director 

Each publication should include a letter from the director of the COPS Office, and the project manager is 

responsible for securing the letter and providing it to the editors. For all letters, the format of the 

signature should be as follows: the person’s name, followed by a comma and then his or her position or 

title. The next line should then include the complete name of the company, division, or institution. 

Example: 

Ronald L. Davis, Director 

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

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

like an actual letter with the office’s letterhead.

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.

Covers 

Covers typically can be printed in up to 4 colors, spot or process. The presence of a 4/C photo 

necessitates a 4-color process design. 

If the publication is part of a series, such as Crime Prevention Research Review (CPRR), the design and 

cover layout should be consistent with the design template currently in use for that series. 

For freestanding publications (not part of a series), several areas of the front and back covers are 

boilerplate, but some language changes per publication.

Front cover

See Graphic Standards and Identity System for the COPS Office, which discusses proper use of the COPS 

Office brand, along with color, typography, and other usage considerations. 

Branding: Place the .eps version of the COPS Office logo (with DOJ seal) in the bottom left corner of the 

front cover. The design determines whether the cover should use the 4-C process, black, or KO/white 

.eps version of the seal/logo. 

26 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
Wraparound design: The design may carry over to the back cover, as long as it accommodates the

information required, as outlined below. 

Back cover 

Abstract: Place an abstract, “blurb,” or short synopsis of the publication on the center of the back cover. 

The author typically provides the text to the COPS Office project manager, and it is reviewed by the 

project editor before layout. It should be consistent in design and complementary to the overall cover 

design. 

Branding: On the bottom left, include a 4-C process .eps version of the DOJ seal beside the COPS Office 

logo. Align beneath the COPS Office logo the copy shown in figure 1. If the publication is a joint project, 

include the other organization’s logo and contact information to the right of the COPS Office (see figure 

2). Note: This has become the official, boilerplate look for the back cover; do not deviate from this look 

or change the text unless the team agrees upon a universal change.

Figure 1. Branding the back of COPS Office publications

Figure 2. Branding the back cover of a joint project

Standards for Publication Design and Production 27
Identification: Place the ISBN, e-project number, and year of publication in the lower right corner of the 

back cover: 

ISBN: 978-1-935676-01-0 

e011413242

Published 2014 

For reprints, revisions, and new editions, use the following language beneath the ISBN and 

e-project number (use periods only when both dates appear on the same line): 

Reprints: First published [year]. Reprinted [year].

Revisions (<20%): First published [year]. Revised [year].

New editions (>20%): First edition [year]. Second edition [year].

Files released for print 

Files are not ready to release until they have gone through a preflight review and are cleared of all 

errors. Package the files in accordance with the print vendor’s requirements. If the files are being 

printed offset, package them with all linked images and fonts and include a PDF for immediate 

reference. The PDF should be at a resolution that meets the specifications of the print vendor. Other 

requirements for preparing files for release include the following: 

• Clear the pasteboard; unnecessary text boxes or images should not exist outside the print area.

• Run spell-checker.

• Eliminate unused style sheets, layers, and colors.

• If the files are being printed, make sure images are CMYK and package them with all source files.

File management 

The job project folder name should begin with the e-project number. Store the project folder in the 

appropriate parent folder on the server under the month and year the project started. 

Also, begin the job file name with the e-number. 

During the design comp and approval stage, a file may link to an image in the COPS Office image library. 

After the PM and author have approved the design, save all images out of the image library and into 

their project’s Art folder before making any modifications. The final version of a file should never link to 

an image in the image library. 

Never modify images in, or remove images from, the image library. 

Archive all sanctioned and newly acquired logos in the “Logo” folder on the server. Do not alter final, 

sanctioned logo art files, unless the design is updated or redesigned. If different formats are required 

and not already available in the logo library, export a copy to or save a copy in that logo’s specific folder. 

28 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
At the completion of a project, after it has been packaged and released for printing or has been 

uploaded to the web, leave the following files in the project folder: 

• The Design folder, which contains

o images folder containing staged art files that may be needed in the future, such as layered .psd

files and .ai files with editable text;

o old folder that contains all previous versions of the InDesign files and PDFs;

o the “packaged” folder (usually matches the project name), which contains

 The final InDesign file and final PDF;

 Document Fonts folder;

 Links folder containing final art files;

 Instructions text document.

• The Editing and Layout Copy folders, which contain the original Word source documents.

508 compliance

All publications produced by the COPS Office must be available to 

the public in accessible PDF formats that are compliant with 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. 

Accessibility involves the ability of people with disabilities, including 

those who are visually impaired, deaf, or hard of hearing, to access 

documents through special software on their PCs or through other 

means. For additional information on Section 508 requirements, see 

the DOJ Section 508 web page at 

www.usdoj.gov/crt/508/508home.html. 

In terms of InDesign and 508 compliance, please follow these 

general guidelines:

• Tagging: When exporting a PDF from InDesign, make sure to select the “Create tagged PDF” option

in the General tab.

• Tables: If a table has to span multiple pages, repeat headers across each page.

• Contrast: For AAA compliance, contrast needs to be at least 7:1 for text smaller than 18 points and

4.5:1 for text 18 points or larger (14 points if bolded). To check the contrast, use the following link:

https://www.ssbbartgroup.com/reference/index.php/Color_Contrast_Checker.

Standards for Publication Design and Production 29

All publications 

produced by the 

COPS Office must 

be available to the 

public in accessible 

PDF formats that 

are compliant with 

Section 508 of the 

Rehabilitation Act 

of 1973. 

Editing/Proofreading Marks

Punctuation marks Examples 

31
Operational signs Examples 

32 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
Operational signs Examples 

Editing/Proofreading Marks 33

Commonly Confused Words

accept/except – Whereas accept means to 

receive, except means to exclude. Example:

“Everyone except Bob accepted the award.” 

adviser/advisor – Both are 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.” 

35
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. Example:

“She committed a capital offense. The

nation’s capital is Washington, D.C.”

• capitol: Refers to the building in which

the legislative body meets. Examples:

the U.S. Capitol building; Capitol Hill

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

compare to / compare with:

• compare to: To point out or consider

similarities. Examples: “Shakespeare

compared life to a stage.”

• compare with: To point out or consider

differences and similarities. Examples:

“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: “To complement the

committee, they had to ask for two

more people.”

• 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 means a frequent occurrence 

with short intervals, continuous means 

nonstop, and continuing/ongoing means in 

progress with no end in sight. 

different from / different than – Use different 

from for correct usage. 

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. 

36 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
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. Example: “The

mouse hid under the desk, and the cow

jumped over the moon.”

• 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.”

• Use “during” (not “over”) as in “During

the past several years...”

i.e. and e.g. – See e.g. and i.e.

imply/infer – Not interchangeable. 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. Use motivate or 

incentives. Example: “The agency will

motivate its employees by providing 

incentives.” 

insure – See assure/ensure/insure. 

its/it’s:

• 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.”

Commonly Confused Words 37
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/form.

Examples: “The community would like the 

police to end not only thefts (n) but also 

gang violence (n). Community police 

officers assigned to ethic 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’s referring to.

• 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. 

which/that – See that/which. 

38 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
The Big Grammar 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 nouns and 

acronyms that begin with a consonant are 

pronounced as if starting with a vowel. 

Examples: an FBI agent; an honest man; a 

hospital; an HTML document; a university; 

an X-ray. See also acronyms. 

abbreviations – See 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, masters 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). 

acronyms: 

• a/an: If an acronym 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:

o Something belongs to one CEO:

“The CEO’s life is hectic.”

o Something belongs to more

than one CEO: “All CEOs’ lives

are hectic.”

o Contraction with “is” (informal):

“The CEO’s coming to the

networking event.”

• 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.

39
Afterward, to make an acronym that 

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

add the s—no apostrophe. Examples:

o More than one CEO: “Many

CEOs attended the event.”

o Wrong: “There are 12 CEO’s on

the board.”

• 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. Examples:

“NATO and NASA will meet next month.

A spokesperson for the FBI, the BBC,

and the EU said . . . .”

• See also “Abbreviations” on page 63 for

a quick reference list of those

frequently used in COPS Office

publications.

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: 

• 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 deescalation.”

• 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. Do use a period for N.,

S., W., and E. when they preface a

street name. Do not abbreviate north,

south, east, or west when they are the

street name. Examples: 1060 South

Avenue; 5 Irving Street NW; 16 E. 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.

40 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
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. 

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; pick 

one or 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. 

Examples: anticrime; antidrug; antiviolence; 

Anti-Drug Abuse Act. See also prefixes. 

apostrophe: 

• words that end with “s”: Follow the

pronunciation when forming a

possessive for a word ending in “s.”

Examples: Harris’s house; Jones’s

house; Francios’ house.

• See also acronyms, county names,

dates, and COPS Office.

appendixes – Not appendices. 

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 Holder; 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. 

The Big Grammar List 41

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 (vertical) lists: 

• basic: Lists should be introduced by a 

complete sentence followed by a colon. 

Only the first word of each bulleted 

item should be capitalized (unless the 

item includes proper nouns). All of the 

bulleted items should be either 

complete sentences that end with a 

period or fragments that do not end 

with periods. A single list cannot have a 

mix of both sentences and fragments. If 

only one bulleted item is a sentence (or 

vice versa), then the series is not 

parallel and needs to be edited. See 

parallel structure. 

• 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.

• sentence-like: Lists that read like a 

single sentence should begin with an 

introductory phrase, which is not be 

followed by a colon. All bulleted items 

should begin lowercase and end with a 

semi-colon, except for the final item, 

which concludes the sentence list with a 

period. Do not include and at the end of 

the penultimate bulleted item. 

• See also numbered lists. 

Bulleted list examples

Basic + fragments: Each guide focuses on a specific 

organizational need:

 General public safety project management

 Performance improvement

 Communications interoperability

 Small and rural agencies

Basic + sentences: Benefits of these guides include 

the following: 

 They support a wide variety of projects.

 There is no need to reinvent the wheel; they 

are based on best practices.

 They are user friendly and easy to follow.

Sentence-like: Community policing enables law 

enforcement agencies and their communities

 to problem solve issues together with the 

community;

 to build community partnerships;

 to foster organizational change.

See also numbered lists. 

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. 

42 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
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:

• 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.) and adverbs.

capitalization—sentence case – Use this style

for all secondary headings and for the titles 

of charts, tables, figures, etc. See also 

“Illustrations” on page 8. 

catalog – Not catalogue.

CD-ROM – Not CD-Rom.

charts – See “Illustrations” on page 8. 

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. 

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. 

The Big Grammar List 43
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 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 period, 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 – Always hyphenate.

community oriented – Never hyphenate.

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. 

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 referring 

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. 

44 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
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. Example: “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 adjective to modify 

another noun. 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 

to modify another noun.

cross-check – Always hyphenate.

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 

to modify another noun. 

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 (singular); curricula (plural) 

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. 

The Big Grammar List 45
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 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 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; 1980–86. 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 6.”

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); decision-making (adj) – 

Hyphenate only when used as an adjective 

to modify another noun. Examples: “The 

community must work together in its 

decision making. The decision-making 

process has concluded.” 

46 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
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.

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 – Always hyphenate. Example: “The 

neighborhood has been drug-free for a 

year.” 

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 

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 . . . .” 

e-mail – Hyphenate e-mail; capitalize only when 

the word starts a sentence. If at all possible, 

do not break e-mail addresses across 

multiple lines.

e- (prefix) – Hyphenate all words that begin 

with this web-related prefix. When used in 

a title, capitalize the e- and the word that 

follows. Examples: e-business; ecommerce; e-grants. 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, 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:

• Alaska Native: Collective term for

Aleuts, Eskimos, and Indians of Alaska.

• Asian: Not oriental, when referring to

race without being specific.

The Big Grammar List 47
• Black: Capitalize when it’s used as a

synonym for African American.

• Hispanic: Capitalize.

• Latina/Latino: Capitalize.

• Hyphenation: Use a hyphen only when

two ethnicities are modifying a noun.

Examples: African-American man;

Asian-American woman.

• Native American: When describing

people, use this term instead of Indian.

• White: Capitalize when it’s used as a

synonym for Caucasian.

• See also Indian country.

exhibits – See illustrative material. 

ex-convict – Always hyphenate. 

ex-offender – Always hyphenate. 

F 

fax numbers – Use dashes 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.

figures – See “Illustrations” 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. Example: FY 2014; a meeting about 

the fiscal year.

G 

gender – Use instead of the word “sex” in 

tables.

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 “Illustrations” 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. 

he and she; he or she – Do not use slashes, 

such as he/she.

health care – Two words; no hyphen. 

48 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
his and her; his or her – Do not use slashes, 

such as his/her.

home page – Two words; no hyphen. 

hotline – Always one word; no hyphen. 

hot spot – Two words; no hyphen or quotation 

marks.

hyphenation: 

• age: Hyphenate only when an age 

modifies another noun. Examples: 18-

year-old offender; 18 years old.

• comparative/superlative: Never 

hyphenate comparatives (better, best, 

worst, etc.) or superlatives (lower, 

higher, 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: Use a 

hyphen between two words that, when 

combined, are modifying a noun. 

Examples: high-level decision; COPS

Office-sponsored seminar.

• See also dashes and numbers. 

I 

illustrative material – See “Illustrations” 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.” 

indexes – Not indices.

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

provide clarification, and use e.g. to 

introduce an example. 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 i.e. and 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. 

Indian country – Note the lowercase “c” in 

country. See also ethnicities. 

information sharing (n); information-sharing

(adj) – Hyphenate only when used as an 

adjective to modify another noun. 

Examples: “The software improved

information sharing. The informationsharing software facilitated more effective 

multijurisdictional investigations.” 

in service (prep + n); in-service (adj) – 

Hyphenate only when used as an adjective 

The Big Grammar List 49
to modify another noun. Examples: inservice police officer; in-service workshop.

Internet – Always capitalize. 

intranet – Lowercase; also lowercase 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 35. 

italics:

• emphasis: For emphasis, if absolutely

necessary, use italics (or quotation

marks), but don’t overdo it. The reader

will get the point the first time.

• 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,

except when referring to the President

of the United States. 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.

• past/future: Aside from lists, agendas,

etc., do not capitalize qualifying words

such as former, then, or acting when

they appear in front of a person’s job

title. 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: After introducing

someone for the first time with his or

her title, do not repeat the title

thereafter. Example: “Joe Brown, chief

50 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
of police of the Stanhope (Kansas) 

Police Department, attended the 

meeting. Brown provided valuable 

advice.”

• 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. 

K 

kick off (v); kickoff (n; adj) – As a verb, spell as 

two words. As a noun or adjective, spell as 

one word. 

L 

law enforcement agencies – For nonstate law 

enforcement agencies, include the state in 

parentheses immediately after the 

jurisdiction’s name. 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. 

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 (adj) – Always hyphenate.

-ly adverbs – Never hyphenate. Examples:

congressionally chartered group; 

successfully run business.

M 

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. 

medical doctor – Lowercase when spelled out. 

Do not use periods with the abbreviation. 

Examples: MD; doctor of medicine; medical 

degree. See also academic degrees. 

memorandum (singular); memoranda (plural) 

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. 

more/most important/importantly – Unless 

something occurred in an important way 

The Big Grammar List 51
and warrants the use of the adverb 

importantly, most of the time more/most 

important is the correct usage. Example:

“More important, such partnerships 

between universities and communities are 

mutually beneficial.” 

multi – As a general rule, do not hyphenate. 

Examples: multiagency; multicultural; 

multijurisdictional; multisite; multistakeholder. See also prefixes. 

N 

names: 

• initials: Initialized first and middle 

names include periods but not spaces. 

Example: J.W. Smith. 

• repeating names: Generally, use only 

the last name (and not job title) upon 

second reference.

• suffixes: Do not use a comma before Sr.

or Jr. or before Roman numerals. For 

inverted names, the suffix still comes 

last, and a comma is necessary to

separate the suffix from the first name.

Examples: Joseph Smith Sr.; 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. 

not only . . . but also – See “Commonly 

Confused Words” on page 35. 

non – As a general rule, do not hyphenate. 

Examples: nonprofit; nonlethal. See also 

prefixes. 

numbered lists:

• numbers vs. bullets: 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. Example:

“The six best practices are as follows:” 

• run-in (i.e., within a paragraph): If 

numbers or letters separate each item 

in a sentence list, enclose them in 

parentheses. The first parenthesis 

should follow a colon only if a complete 

sentence introduces the list. Separate 

items with commas; however, if one or 

more of the items include internal 

commas, then separate all of them with 

semicolons. 

• vertical, basic: Lists should be 

introduced by a complete sentence 

followed by a colon. Each numbered

item should use sentence case. All of 

the numbered items should either be 

complete sentences, each ending with a 

period, or fragments that do not end 

with periods. A single list cannot have a 

mix of both sentences and fragments. If 

only one numbered item is a sentence 

(or vice versa), then the series is not 

parallel and needs to be edited. See 

parallel structure. 

• vertical, sentence-like: Lists that read 

like a single sentence should begin with 

52 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
an introductory phrase, which is not

followed by a colon. All numbered

items should begin lowercase and end 

with a semi-colon, except for the final 

item, which concludes the sentence list 

with a period. Do not include and at the 

end of the penultimate numbered item. 

• See also bulleted lists.

Numbered list examples

Run-in: The model provides templates for only four 

components of project management: (1) project 

decision-making structure, (2) project 

communications plans, (3) project charter, and (4) 

project risk management.

Vertical, sentence-like: Three best practices for 

agencies using social media include

1. designating a specific person to post

content;

2. updating the content regularly;

3. responding to other users’ posts in a timely

manner.

See also bulleted lists. 

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: “Eighty-six 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.

• fractions: Generally speaking, spell out

simple fractions. Do not mix fractions

with percentages. Exception:

measurements. Examples: threefourths of the agency; a quarter of a

mile.

• measurements: Always use Arabic

numerals with units of measurement,

degrees, decimals, money, percentages,

or 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 spelledout number with the numeral in

parentheses (except for App Guides).

• percentages: Always use numerals to

denote percentages. In text, always

spell out percent, but use the symbol

(%) in tables, graphs, figures, and

illustrations.

• 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 endash on PCs, 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.

The Big Grammar List 53
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 principals 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. Examples: 

• Enforcement agencies face specific

challenges in managing the patrol

function, such as keeping patrol

officers informed, providing routine

police services, and ensuring officer

safety.

• Critical services an agency must

perform in the investigation include

the following:

o Provide surveillance

o Establish roadblocks

o 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 deescalation.”

• 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. 

54 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
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. Example: “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 illustrations. Example:

“The chief of police said the budget was cut 

by 15 percent.” See also numbers. 

PhD – Do not use periods with the 

abbreviations. Lowercase when spelled out: 

i.e., doctor of philosophy. 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

“s.” Examples: the officer’s safety;

1920’s police uniforms.

• plural nouns: Add an apostrophe after

the “s.” Example: the officers’ safety.

• singular nouns that end in “s”: Follow

the pronunciation when forming a

possessive. Examples: Harris’s house;

Francios’ house.

• See also apostrophes, acronyms, COPS

Office, and dates.

postal abbreviations – See addresses, D.C./DC, 

District of Columbia, and state names.

post-traumatic stress disorder – Note hyphen.

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, re, pro, proto, 

pseudo, re, semi, socio, sub, super, supra, 

trans, ultra, un, under. Exceptions: 

• Hyphenate if not doing so would

change the meaning of the word.

Examples: re-create (to create again)

vs. recreate (to take recreation); recover (to cover again) vs. recover (to

get back).

• Hyphenate if the second element is

already a compound. Examples: multistakeholder; post-fundraising.

• Hyphenate if the second element is a

number. Examples: mid-1990s; mid20s.

• Hyphenate if the second element is a

capitalized proper name. Example: midAtlantic.

• 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; antiinflammatory. Exceptions: reengineer;

reelect; reentry; preexist; bookkeeping.

The Big Grammar List 55
• 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 referring to the 

President of the United States or when used 

in front of a person’s name, but lowercase 

when used alone and not referring to the 

President of the United States. Examples:

“The President signed the bill today. The 

president of ABC Corporation attended the 

meeting. At the fundraiser, President Jones 

made an announcement.” See also job 

titles. 

problem-oriented – Always hyphenate. 

Example: problem-oriented policing. 

problem solver – Two words; no hyphen. 

Example: “He considers himself a problem

solver.” 

problem solving (n); problem-solving (adj) – 

Hyphenate only when used as an adjective 

to modify another noun. Examples:

“Educational planning helps with problem

solving. The training included problemsolving exercises.” 

pronouns – Use singular pronouns with singular 

nouns, and use plural pronouns with plural 

nouns. Examples: “Each officer completed

their his or her 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. 

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: For emphasis, if absolutely

necessary, use quotation marks (or 

italics), but don’t overdo it. The reader

will get the point the first time.

• 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 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 11. 

56 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
R 

rank and file (n); rank-and-file (adj) – 

Hyphenate only when used as an adjective 

to modify another noun. Examples: “The 

rank and file will vote on the contract. Rankand-file officers will vote on the contract.” 

real time (n); real-time (adj) – Hyphenate only 

when used as an adjective to modify 

another noun. 

record keeping (n); record-keeping (adj) – 

Hyphenate only when used as an adjective 

to modify another noun. 

re-create – Hyphenate to mean “to create 

again.” See also prefixes. 

reelect – Always one word; no hyphen. See also 

prefixes. 

reentry – Always one word; no hyphen. See also 

prefixes. 

references – See “References and 

Documentation” on page 11. 

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. 

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 contains

internal commas. Example: “The 

problem can be divided into three 

components: overall trend; seasonal,

daily, and weekly cycles; and random 

fluctuations.” 

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. 

The Big Grammar List 57
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.” 

sheriff’s office – See law enforcement 

agencies. 

signature – For all letters, the format should be

as follows: the person’s name, followed by 

a comma and then his or her position or 

title. The next line should then include the 

complete name of the company, division, or 

institution. Example: 

Ronald L. Davis, Director

Office of Community Oriented Policing 

Services

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); start-up (n; adj) – As a verb, spell as 

two words. As a noun or adjective, spell as 

one word. 

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 9. 

• 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 such as agendas, workshops, or 

conference programs can use the postal 

abbreviations. However, include the use of

periods (including D.C.).

58 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
• 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

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 “Illustrations” on page 8. 

table of contents – Use “Contents” instead.

telephone numbers – Use dashes 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 

numbers.

time frame – Two words; no hyphen. 

time line – Two words; no hyphen. 

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. 

truth telling (n); truth-telling (adj) – Hyphenate 

only when used as an adjective to modify 

another noun. Examples: “Most agencies 

find truth telling and reconciliation 

necessary in forming a partnership with the 

community. The meeting will discuss the

truth-telling process.” 

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; 

make sure to use periods so U.S. isn’t 

confused for a pronoun. Examples: the 

The Big Grammar List 59
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://” in URLs. If at all 

possible, do not break URLs or e-mail 

addresses. If a URL begins 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; make sure to use periods so 

U.S. isn’t confused for the pronoun us. 

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:

• layout: In the final, designed version of

a document or publication, keep “U.S.”

and “Department of Justice” on the

same line.

• preceding other entities: 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. 

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. 

60 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
webcast – Always one word. 

web page – Two words.

website – Always one word; lowercase.

well – Hyphenate word combinations with well

when used as an adjective to modify

another noun. If the combination comes 

after the noun, 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. 

The Big Grammar List 61

Abbreviations

ATF – Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (no comma after Firearms) 

BJA – Bureau of Justice Assistance

BJS – Bureau of Justice Statistics

CALEA – The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies

CD-ROM – Not CD-Rom

COP – community oriented policing (no hyphen)

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 

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 – The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center

FOP – Fraternal Order of Police

GAO – Government Accountability Office (formerly General Accounting Office)

G.R.E.A.T. – Gang Resistance Education and Training (periods in acronym; no commas when spelled out) 

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 – 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

63
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

MAN – metropolitan area network

MCC – Major Cities Chiefs Association

MCSA – Major County Sheriffs’ Association 

NASRO – National Association of School Resource Officers

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) 

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

64 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual
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 65

COPS Office Divisions and Programs

CAMP – COPS Anti-Methamphetamine Program

CHP – COPS Hiring Program

CHRP – COPS Hiring Recovery Program

CIS – COPS in Schools

COPS Office – Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

COPS Office Response Center 

CPA – Community Policing Advancement

CRI-TA – Collaborative Reform Initiative and Technical Assistance 

CSPP – Child Sexual Predator Program

CTAS – Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation 

FAST – Funding Accelerated for Smaller Towns

GAD – Grants Administration Division 

GMD – Grants Monitoring Division

ICTP – Interoperable Communications Technology Program

Meth – COPS Methamphetamine Initiative

MORE – Making Officer Redeployment Effective 

OSW Group – Officer Safety and Wellness Group

Partnerships – Partnerships and Technical Assistance Division

R&D – Research and Development Division

SBP – School-Based Partnerships

SOS – Secure Our Schools 

Tech – COPS Technology Grants

TRGP – Tribal Resources Grant Program

UHP – Universal Hiring Program 

VBI – Value-Based Initiative

67
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, territory, and tribal law enforcement agencies through information and grant resources. 

Community policing is a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies that support the systematic 

use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques, to proactively address the immediate conditions 

that give rise to public safety issues such as crime, social disorder, and fear of crime. 

Rather than simply responding to crimes once they have been committed, community policing 

concentrates on preventing crime and eliminating the atmosphere of fear it creates. Earning the trust of 

the community and making those individuals stakeholders in their own safety enables law enforcement 

to better understand and address both the needs of the community and the factors that contribute to 

crime.

The COPS Office awards grants to state, local, territory, and tribal law enforcement agencies to hire and 

train community policing professionals, acquire and deploy cutting-edge crime fighting technologies, 

and develop and test innovative policing strategies. COPS Office funding also provides training and 

technical assistance to community members and local government leaders and all levels of law 

enforcement. The COPS Office has produced and compiled a broad range of information resources that 

can help law enforcement better address specific crime and operational issues, and help community 

leaders better understand how to work cooperatively with their law enforcement agency to reduce 

crime.

• 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.

• To date, the COPS Office has funded approximately 125,000 additional officers to more than 13,000

of the nation’s 18,000 law enforcement agencies across the country in small and large jurisdictions

alike.

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

been trained through COPS Office-funded training organizations.

• To date, the COPS Office has distributed more than 8.57 million topic-specific publications, training

curricula, white papers, and resource CDs.

COPS Office resources, covering a wide breadth of community policing topics—from school and campus 

safety to gang violence—are available, at no cost, through its online Resource Center at 

www.cops.usdoj.gov. This easy-to-navigate website is also the grant application portal, providing access 

to online application forms.

68 The COPS Office Editorial and Graphics Style Manual

U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 

145 N Street NE 

Washington, DC 20530 

To obtain details about COPS Office programs, 

call the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770.
 

Visit the COPS Office online at www.cops.usdoj.gov.