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[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 56 (Monday, March 24, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13897-13898]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-7289]

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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

ACTION: Notice of information collection under review; Department 
annual report.

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    The proposed information collection is published to obtain comments 
from the public and affected agencies. Comments are encouraged and will 
be accepted until the sixtieth day from the date published in the 
Federal Register. Request written comments and suggestions from the 
public and affected agencies concerning the proposed collection of 
information. Your comments should address one or more of the following 
four points:
    (1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology,

[[Page 13898]]

e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.
    If you have additional comments, suggestions, or need a copy of the 
proposed information collection instrument with instructions, or 
additional information, please contact Kristen Mahoney, 202-616-2896, 
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing 
Services, 1100 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20530.
    Additionally, comments and/or suggestions regarding the item(s) 
contained in this notice, especially regarding the estimated public 
burden and associated response time should be directed to Kristen 
Mahoney, 202-616-2896, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community 
Oriented Policing Services, 1100 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 
20530.
    Overview of this information collection:
    (1) Type of Information Collection: Revised 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 abstract: Primary: State, Local or Tribal Governments. 
Other: None. Other: None.
    The information collection 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. Expiration 6/98.
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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: March 18, 1997.
Robert B. Briggs,
Department Clearance Officer, United States Department of Justice.
[FR Doc. 97-7289 Filed 3-21-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-21-M
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