[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 183 (Monday, September 22, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49526-49527]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-25058]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE


Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; Agency 
Information Collection Activities: Request Emergency Extension of 
Existing Collection; Comment Request

ACTION: Notice of information collection under review; Revision of a 
currently approved collection--Department annual report.

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    Approval for an emergency extension has been requested from the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the information collection 
listed below. The emergency extension has been requested for 60 days in 
order to allow the public 30 days to comment on the information 
collection and take corrective actions if required. The 60 day notice 
was previously published in the Federal Register on March 24, 1997.
    Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until October 22, 
1997. Written comments and/or suggestions regarding the items contained 
in this notice, especially regarding the estimated public burden and 
associated response time, should be directed to the Office and 
Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Attention: Department of Justice Desk Officer, Washington, DC 20530. 
Additionally, comments may be submitted to OMB via facsimile to 202-
395-7285.
    Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected 
agencies should address one of the following points:
    (1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection technique 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submissions of responses.
    Overview of this information collection:
    (1) Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently 
approved collection.
    (2) Title of the Form/Collection: Department Annual Report
    (3) Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the 
Department of Justice sponsoring the collection: Form: COPS 1103-0031. 
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of 
Justice.
    (4) Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as 
well as a brief

[[Page 49527]]

abstract: Primary: State, Local or Tribal Governments. Other: None.
    The information collected is used to determine grantee progress on 
its COPS Hiring grant. Completion of such report is a condition of all 
COPS hiring programs. The COPS Office achieves the goals hiring of the 
crime bill by offering the Universal Hiring grant program. It is 
designed to assist with the implementation of community policing by 
providing funding for up to $75,000 of the salaries and benefits of 
newly hired officers for a three year period. Throughout the grant 
period, law enforcement agencies are expected to plan, in good faith, 
to retain the funded positions through full local funding.
    As the COPS Office's grants mature, it is important that it monitor 
the progress of this good faith planning for retention. Thus, the COPS 
Office has expanded its Department Annual Report by adding a question 
specific to retention planning. The remainder of the information 
collected under the previously approved \1\ Department Annual Report 
will remain the same: questions aimed at collecting the minimum 
information necessary to monitor the progress of law enforcement 
agencies as successfully hiring their COPS funded officers and 
implementing community policing as they indicated they would in their 
grant application. With the anticipated OMB approval of the revised 
Department Annual Report, the COPS Office will retire its predecessor 
from dissemination to its grantees.
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    \1\ OMB Approval Number 1103-0030.
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    The information collected in the Department Annual Report will 
continue to be collected once per year so long as the law enforcement 
agency receives COPS program hiring monies. The Instruments will be 
mailed to the grantees with instructions and a sample completed 
Progress Report Document.
    (5) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount 
of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: 10,000 
responses; 1.3 hours per response. The information will be collected 
one time per year from each respondent.
    (6) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated 
with the collection: 38,000 annual burden hours.
    If additional information is required contact: Mr. Robert B. 
Briggs, Clearance Officer, United States Department of Justice, 
Information Management and Security Staff, Justice Management Division, 
Suite 850, Washington Center, 1001 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20530.

    Dated: September 16, 1997.
Robert B. Briggs,
Department Clearance Officer, United States Department of Justice.
[FR Doc. 97-25058 Filed 9-19-97; 8:45 am]
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