Psn Crime Reporting Instructions

OMB No. 1121-0271

Expires 09-30-2006

Project Safe Neighborhoods

District Data Reporting Guidelines

Congratulations on being selected as a research partner for the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. The PSN research grant program represents an unprecedented commitment by the Department of Justice to the strategic data-driven approach to gun violence reduction that would not be possible without your participation. As you know, one of the central elements of PSN is the expectation that PSN task forces will collect data on outcome measures related to the level of firearms violence in each federal judicial district. This information is essential if we are to strategically target our resources for maximum impact, and is a necessary element in assessing success and providing the information required to make mid-course corrections in our local programs.

Your participation in the PSN initiative provides an additional opportunity for understanding gun violence issues at a national level. Never before has it been possible to collect timely data on gun violence and gun violence reduction measures on a national scale. To maximize the potential presented by this new opportunity, the Department of Justice has partnered with the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University (MSU) to develop a national picture of firearms violence and the effect of PSN’s strategic approach. To accomplish that task, we are asking each research partner to provide to MSU certain data necessary for that evaluation. Your participation will assist us in identifying promising practices and trends in firearms violence across districts.

This document describes the data submissions that will be most helpful to MSU as we develop a national picture of firearms violence, its trends, and successful gun violence reduction efforts. We expect that you will be collecting most of this information as a matter of course in your analysis of the gun violence issues your district faces.

NOTE: This report is in addition to, and does not replace your reporting requirements under the special conditions of your award with the Bureau of Justice Assistance. You are still required to submit the Semi-Annual Categorical Assistance Report (BJA Report), consistent with the format provided. The BJA Report must be submitted on-line via the Grant Management System (GMS) at: http://grants.ojp.usdoj.gov within the timeline required, to avoid a hold being placed upon your funds. This second report should be sent to MSU at the following address.

Dr. Natalie Hipple

Michigan State University

School of Criminal Justice

560 Baker Hall

East Lansing, MI 48824

Principles Guiding Data Reporting

The reporting of data from each district participating in Project Safe Neighborhoods is expected to serve a range of purposes. There are several principles that are guiding the reporting of these data. First, there is a need to document the activities that have been undertaken within each district as part of this initiative and the impact of these interventions. Given that there will be variation across districts in the nature of the gun violence problem and in the strategies that are used to address these problems, there is no standardized format for collecting identical district-wide information from all jurisdictions. Instead data should be collected that most closely reflect the gun violence problem that is being addressed in each district. Second, there is a need on a national basis to document the progress of PSN. It is recognized that there is no simple indicator of gun crime that can be collected from existing data bases at a national level. Not all homicides, robberies, and assaults involve the use of guns. Thus, data collection must originate at the local level reflecting local situations and local capabilities. However, it is expected that data from similar jurisdictions addressing similar problems with similar strategies may be aggregated at a later point to demonstrate overall effects of these interventions on gun crimes.

Principal Areas of Emphasis

In most cases, it is expected that districts will devise specific PSN strategies to address gun crimes in the geographic areas of greatest need. Generally, one can expect to have the greatest impact if efforts are focused upon the geographic areas experiencing the most significant problems. Thus, districts are encouraged to select high gun violence locations within their district in which to focus their principal activities. At the same time, there may be some aspects of PSN that are implemented on a district wide basis. Thus, the data reported may include both district-wide indicators as well as target area measures.

The principal “target area” refers to the principal geographic area of emphasis in which the most intensive interventions will take place. These areas could be the major city or county in the district or a sub unit (e.g., neighborhood, police precinct or police district) of that jurisdiction that receives an enhanced focus. Some districts may choose to target a type of firearms violence problem (e.g., domestic violence) rather than a geographic location.¹ Districts will be asked to identify their target geographic unit(s), or type of problem, in the initial reporting of data and throughout subsequent reporting periods. For districts planning on multiple target areas, the data should be reported for each discrete target area where significant interventions are likely to occur.

Data to be Reported

There are two aspects of data reporting. First, general crime data are to be reported for traditional elements reflecting the gun violence problem in the jurisdiction (e.g., homicide offenses known to the police). Second, locally-generated data are to be reported that may reflect the unique analysis conducted in this jurisdiction that reflect the nature of the gun violence problem beyond the descriptive data on gun violence (e.g., firearms injuries reported by a trauma center).

Data Elements

I. Data on Gun Crime Problem (Baseline and Outcome Measures)

For the city or target area selected, data should be provided that define the gun crime problem in the jurisdiction. If the district has multiple target areas, a principal one should be selected for this reporting process. If the district is unsure about the principal target area or envisions significant interventions in multiple target areas then the data should be reported for each significant target area. Baseline data should be reported by month from January 2000 to December 2001 for the initial district report.² Similar data for 2002 should be reported in July 2003. Subsequently, each PSN district will be asked to report data on the prior six-month period (e.g., in January 2004 data covering 1/1/03-6/30/03 will be reported). These data should include the following elements (see data collection form):

Crime Measures:

• Homicide (total)

• Homicide with a Firearm

• Aggravated Assault (total)

• Aggravated Assault with a firearm

• Armed Robbery³ (total)

• Armed Robbery with a firearm.

II. Site-Specific Data on the Gun Crime Problem

It is anticipated that additional analyses will be conducted in each jurisdiction to determine the nature of the gun violence problem. This will vary from district to district based on the nature of the firearms violence problem and data availability. The results of this analysis should also be reported. This could include the results of analysis of official records, CAD data, surveys, interviews, homicide or other violent crime reviews, case coding, gun tracing, emergency department data or other data collection and analysis strategies.

Site-specific measures (examples):

• Shots fired calls for service

• Trauma center - firearms injuries

• Time to crime data on firearms used in crime

• Survey data on illegal gun carrying, possession and use (e.g. ADAM Firearms Addendum)

• Gang- or drug-related firearms violence

• Other (specify)

• District-wide measures (in contrast to geographic-focused; specify)

III. Data on the Intervention (Output Measures)

As interventions are implemented it will be important to report both on what strategies were conducted as well as upon the effects of these interventions. Thus, prior to project implementation, specific and measurable goals should be identified. These goals should include both outputs (e.g., arrests, prosecutions (federal and state), guns seized) as well as outcomes (e.g., numbers of homicides, gun assaults, armed robberies).

Outputs – Arrests and firearm seizures:

• Homicide arrests

• Aggravated assault arrests

• Armed robbery arrests

• Illegal firearms carrying, possession arrests (e.g., CCW) – adults

• Illegal firearms carrying, possession arrests (e.g., CCW) – juveniles

• Firearms seized

Outputs – Prosecution:

• Local prosecution filings for homicides, aggravated assaults, robberies, illegal firearms carrying/possession

• Local prosecution cases disposed by guilty plea or verdict for homicides, aggravated assaults, robberies, illegal firearms carrying/possession

• Federal prosecution – defendant filings for firearms-related cases (sections 922 and 924)⁴

• Federal prosecution – total defendants guilty of firearms or other non-firearms offenses (sections 922 and 924)

IV. Outcome Measures

Select indicators from the data reported above will also comprise outcome measures for PSN task force interventions.

Comparison Area(s)

Districts are encouraged to identify a comparison area(s) where firearms-crime data will be collected to contrast trends with those experienced in the principal target area(s). The inclusion of a comparison area(s) will greatly increase the ability to identify impact attributable to PSN interventions. Thus, where feasible, districts should also identify areas within their district that have not been principal areas of emphasis that can be used for comparison purposes.⁵ The goal will be to report similar outcome measures as those reported for the principal target area(s).

Note:

Given the wide variation from district to district in target areas, data availability, terminology, and strategies, there may be confusion in completing the data collection form. Monthly data are preferred for analysis purposes in terms of measuring change and programmatic impact. Yet some data may not be available in monthly format. In such cases, annual data are acceptable. For some categories, data may not be available. Please complete the form as thoroughly as possible (indicating where data are not available).

A data definition directory is included with the data collection form to try and provide some degree of uniformity across the districts. Where local measures do not conform to these categories please report the data that are available and provide a clarification of the data provided.

Concerns and questions should be directed to the Michigan State University, School of Criminal Justice team that is assisting DOJ’s FEAT network in the collection of data from all the PSN task forces.

Dr. Natalie Hipple

Michigan State University

School of Criminal Justice

560 Baker Hall

East Lansing, MI 48824

Paperwork Reduction Act Notice

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. We try to create forms and instructions that are accurate, can be easily understood, and which impose the least possible burden on you to provide us with information. The estimated average time to complete the form is one hour. In order to facilitate getting the appropriate information and to make the process less time-consuming, we request that you send your response electronically. If you have comments regarding the accuracy of the time estimate above, or suggestions for making this form simpler, you can write to Lynn Bryant, Clearance Officer, 601 D. Street, NW, Washington, DC., 20530.

DO NOT MAIL YOUR COMPLETED RESEARCHER REPORTING FORM TO THIS ADDRESS.

1 Districts choosing to focus on a crime problem rather than a geographic area may experience challenges in collecting data from multiple sites. PSN coordinators and research partners are encouraged to contact the MSU team to discuss strategies for data reporting.

2 Districts with the ability to report these data in a more timely fashion are encouraged to do so.

3 The preference is for reporting the major category of “armed robbery” and the subcategory of “armed robbery with a firearm.” For districts unable to provide this breakdown, the more general categories of “robbery” and the subcategory of “armed robbery” is acceptable.

4 District-wide federal prosecution data are available through the LIONS data reporting system. This request for data is intended to relate federal prosecution data to the principal geographic focus area.

5 The ideal comparison area will be an area similar to the principal target area in terms of firearms violence, population, and demographics but that does not receive PSN interventions. For many districts this may be problematic due to the desire of focusing PSN resources on multiple problem areas. The MSU team can serve as a resource as these issues are considered within the PSN task force.