Law Enforcement Survey

Draft Law Enforcement Survey ON DNA ISSUES

(version June 2, 2006)

I. - General Information about your Agency

The purpose of this section is to gain an understanding of the characteristics of your agency. This information will assist in determining whether certain characteristics shared among similar law enforcement agencies impact needs regarding DNA work.

1. Provide the name of your agency, contact person and address (street, city, state, zip code) of your headquarters or primary location. ____________________________________________________

2. Provide some details about the structure of your agency:

Agency Structure	Total
Number of facilities that permanently house personnel
Number of other types of locations (please specify):
Service population of agency jurisdiction
Population of jurisdiction

3. Please provide a few characteristics on your actual agency staffing:

Actual Agency Staff (excluding correctional personnel)	Total
Number of Sworn Personnel (including supervisors)
Number of Non Sworn Personnel (including supervisors)
Number of Sworn Investigative Staff
Number of Non-Sworn Investigative Staff

4. Please provide a few characteristics on total agency workload:

Agency Workload (January 1 through December 31, 2005)	Total
Number of Dispatched Calls for Service
Number of Incident/Offense Reports
Number of Total Reported Uniform Crime Report (UCR) Arrests
Number of Field Interviews/Stop Contacts

5. Approximately what percent of your homicide and rape cases involve DNA evidence from January 1, 2005 – December 31, 2005?

1. 0%

2. 1 – 25%

3. 26 – 50%

4. 51- 75%

5. 76 – 100%

II. Training:

6. Aside from the training provided at the academy, does your agency provide any training in the collection of DNA evidence?

1. No (Skip to Question 9)

2. Yes

7. If yes, what group of personnel in your agency has been trained and what percentage of each group have been trained?

Have been trained Percentage trained

Yes/No %

1. Patrol ______ ______ %

2. Detectives ______ ______ %

3. Special units ______ ______ %

4. Other (specify) _____________ ______ ______ %

8. What is the source of funding for the training in your agency? Circle all that apply.

1. Departmental resources

2. Local Government

3. State Government

4. Federal Government

9. Do you believe your agency needs DNA related training? Circle one response.

1. More training is needed

2. Less training is needed

3. Current level of training is sufficient

4. No training is needed

10. What types of training do specialized law enforcement units in your agency need in terms of DNA related-work?

___ Identification of possible biological evidence

___ Evidence collection techniques

___ Evidence submission limitations (understanding probative value)

___ Evidence submission protocols

___ Understanding of analysis results

___ Other (please briefly explain) __________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

11. Is there a need for cross training police and prosecutors in your jurisdiction?

1. No

2. Yes

12. Is there a need for cross training police and crime lab staff in your jurisdiction?

1. No

2. Yes

III. Funding/Resource Issues:

13. Does your agency receive any funding through DNA grants [insert proper term]?

1. No (Skip to Question 16)

2. Yes

1b. How much funding does your agency receive? ____________________

2b. What benefits does your agency receive? _________________________

________________________________________________________________

14. What is the name of the DNA grant(s) that funds your agency?

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15. How is DNA money being used by your agency?

1. Overtime for officers working on DNA cases

2. Purchasing equipment

3. Training

4. Other ________________________________________________________________.

16. Based on the experience of your agency, what resources is law enforcement lacking in terms of DNA related-work?

1. Cold case unit staffing

2. Resources for overtime

3. Reserve capacity

4. Training for patrol/first responders on precautions to take to avoid contamination

5. Training in chain of custody

17. How is DNA analysis funded in your jurisdiction? Please insert the approximate percentage of cost:

1. Our agency ___ %

2. Local crime labs ___ %

3. Other local entity ___ %

4. State ___ %

5. Federal ___ %

6. Other ___ % (specify) _____________________________

IV. Collaboration issues:

To what extent does your agency agree with the following statements? Use the following response categories: SA= Strongly agree, A= Agree, N= Neither agree nor disagree, D= Disagree, SD= Strongly disagree

		SA	A	N	D	SD
	Our agency and crime lab personnel collaborate effectively on cases involving DNA collection.	SA	A	N	D	SD
	Our agency and prosecutorial staff collaborate effectively on cases involving DNA collection.	SA	A	N	D	SD
	Overall, our agency is satisfied with the way crime lab personnel handle our cases involving DNA collection.	SA	A	N	D	SD
	Overall, our agency is satisfied with the way prosecutorial staff handle our cases involving DNA collection.	SA	A	N	D	SD
	Our agency is satisfied with the way public DNA labs conduct the basic processes of DNA analysis.	SA	A	N	D	SD
	There is a formal protocol for working with prosecutors on DNA evidentiary issues.	SA	A	N	D	SD
	There is a formal protocol for working with crime labs on DNA evidentiary issues.	SA	A	N	D	SD
	Prosecutors notify our agency when they decide not to prosecute cases involving DNA.	SA	A	N	D	SD
	Crime labs notify the police when they do not or are not able to test specimens.	SA	A	N	D	SD
	Our agency regularly communicates the results of DNA analysis promptly to the victims of these cases.	SA	A	N	D	SD
	Our agency maintains frequent contact with victim advocates.	SA	A	N	D	SD

29. What are the key best practices in the collaboration between police and prosecutors on DNA evidentiary issues in your jurisdiction?

    1. Extensive collaboration between police and prosecutors from the outset of the investigation

    2. Careful supervision of police investigators and prosecutors by experienced supervisors

    3. Use of an interagency work group to solve communication problems

    4. Regular interaction between police and prosecutors involves two-way information sharing

    5. Regular interaction between police and prosecutors involves shared decision-making on difficult cases

    6. Use of technology to enhance collaboration

    7. Development of written protocols to enhance collaboration

    8. Joint training for police investigators and prosecutors

    9. Other (please briefly explain) ______________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

30. What are the key challenges and barriers to working with prosecutors on DNA evidentiary issues in your jurisdiction?

    1. Lack of a common language

    2. History of poor relations

    3. Absence of careful supervision of police investigators and prosecutors by experienced supervisors

    4. Interagency rivalry

    5. Differing educational backgrounds of police investigators and prosecutors

    6. Differing views on usefulness of DNA evidence

    7. Other (please briefly explain) ______________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

31. What are the key best practices in the collaboration between police and DNA labs in your jurisdiction?

    1. Extensive collaboration between police and lab personnel from the outset of the investigation

    2. Careful supervision of police investigators and lab personnel by experienced supervisors

    3. Use of an interagency work group to solve communication problems

    4. Regular interaction between police and lab personnel involves two-way information sharing

    5. Regular interaction between police and lab personnel involves shared decision-making on difficult cases

    6. Use of technology to enhance collaboration

    7. Development of written protocols to enhance collaboration

    8. Joint training for police investigators and lab personnel

    9. Other (please briefly explain) ______________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

32. What are the key challenges and barriers to working with DNA labs in your jurisdiction?

    1. Lack of a common language

    2. History of poor relations

    3. Absence of careful supervision of police investigators and lab personnel by experienced supervisors

    4. Inter-organizational rivalry

    5. Differing educational backgrounds of police investigators and lab personnel

    6. Backlog problems

    7. Different levels of understanding of DNA technology

    8. Lack of lab accreditation

    9. Lab errors (e.g., false positive/negative reporting)

    10. Other (please briefly explain) ______________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

V. Buy-in from law enforcement:

Rate the extent of agreement separately for the majority opinion for patrol officers and detectives from your agency for the following statements.

SA= Strongly agree, A= Agree, N= Neither agree nor disagree, D= Disagree, SD= Strongly disagree

33. DNA is a useful tool for identifying suspects in homicide and rape cases.

(Most patrol officers in our agency): SA ___ ; A ___ ; N ___ ; D ___ ; SD ___

(Most detectives in our agency): SA ___ ; A ___ ; N ___ ; D ___ ; SD ___

34. DNA is a useful tool for closing homicide and rape cases.

(Most patrol officers in our agency): SA ___ ; A ___ ; N ___ ; D ___ ; SD ___

(Most detectives in our agency): SA ___ ; A ___ ; N ___ ; D ___ ; SD ___

35. DNA is a useful tool for prosecuting suspects in homicide and rape cases.

(Most patrol officers in our agency): SA ___ ; A ___ ; N ___ ; D ___ ; SD ___

(Most detectives in our agency): SA ___ ; A ___ ; N ___ ; D ___ ; SD ___

36. Law enforcement understands the benefits of DNA evidence in homicide and rape cases.

(Most patrol officers): SA ___ ; A ___ ; N ___ ; D ___ ; SD ___

(Most detectives): SA ___ ; A ___ ; N ___ ; D ___ ; SD ___

37. DNA testing is an accurate scientific process in homicide and rape cases.

(Most patrol officers in our agency): SA ___ ; A ___ ; N ___ ; D ___ ; SD ___

(Most detectives in our agency): SA ___ ; A ___ ; N ___ ; D ___ ; SD ___

38. DNA testing results will influence a cop’s view of suspects in homicide and rape cases.

(Most patrol officers in our agency): SA ___ ; A ___ ; N ___ ; D ___ ; SD ___

(Most detectives in our agency): SA ___ ; A ___ ; N ___ ; D ___ ; SD ___

39. DNA evidence has changed police work in homicide and rape cases.

(Most patrol officers in our agency): SA ___ ; A ___ ; N ___ ; D ___ ; SD ___

(Most detectives in our agency): SA ___ ; A ___ ; N ___ ; D ___ ; SD ___

40. For what percentage of cases is the collection of DNA relevant to closing a case?

1. 81-100 %

2. 61-80 %

3. 41-60 %

4. 21-40%

5. 20 % or less

41. Please describe success stories with DNA evidence in your jurisdiction.

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

42. Are you aware of any arrests by your agency that have resulted directly from DNA testing in the past year?

1. No

2. Yes (If Yes, about how many _______ )

43. What types of crimes typically involve the collection of DNA evidence in your jurisdiction?

1. Homicides

2. Sexual assaults

3. Robberies

4. Other crimes (specify) _____________________________

VI. The process of DNA collection:

44. Regardless of whether or not your state has any applicable state statutes, has your jurisdiction established written procedures for the collection, preservation, and retention of biological crime scene evidence?

__ Yes __ No __ Unsure

45. What factors influence whether your agency will collect DNA evidence? (Check all that apply)

    1. Seriousness of crime

    2. Lack of other strong supporting evidence in addition to DNA evidence

    3. Presence of strong supporting evidence in addition to DNA evidence

    4. Media attention surrounding case

    5. Political pressure

    6. Necessary financial resources exist to collect DNA

    7. Necessary personnel exist to collect DNA

    8. Strong interest exists among one or more investigators

    9. Other (please briefly explain) ______________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

46. What factors influence whether your agency will submit DNA evidence to a crime lab? (Check all that apply)

    1. Seriousness of crime

    2. Lack of other strong supporting evidence in addition to DNA evidence

    3. Presence of strong supporting evidence in addition to DNA evidence

    4. Media attention surrounding case

    5. Political pressure

    6. Necessary financial resources exist to test DNA

    7. Necessary personnel exist to test DNA

    8. Strong interest exists among one or more investigators

    9. Other (please briefly explain) ______________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

47. What problems does your agency have in collecting DNA evidence?

___ Identification of possible biological evidence

___ Evidence collection techniques

___ Evidence submission limitations (understanding probative value)

___ Evidence submission protocols

___ Other (please briefly explain) __________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

48. Is there a backlog in the labs your agency uses to test your DNA evidence?

    1. No

    2. Yes

49. After sending evidence to a public lab, what is the average length of time it takes to receive DNA results?

___ Less than a week

___ 8-14 days

___ 15-30 days

___ 1-2 months

___ 2-3 months

___ 4-5 months

___ 5-6 months

___ More than 6 months

50. After sending evidence to a private lab, what is the average length of time it takes to receive DNA results?

___ Less than a week

___ 8-14 days

___ 15-30 days

___ 1-2 months

___ 2-3 months

___ 4-5 months

___ 5-6 months

___ More than 6 months

51. What factors, in your experience, influence the time it takes to process DNA evidence and please indicate the time allocated (in days) for each factor.

Allocated Time

1. High profile _____

2. Availability of financial resources _____

(e.g., sending to state lab vs. private lab)

3. Type of crime _____

4. Need of lab to outsource sample _____

5. Statute of limitation _____

6. Other (please specify) _____

7. Other (please specify) _____

52. Does your agency have a specified DNA/cold-case unit?

1. No (Skip to Question 55)

2. Yes

53. If yes, how many are assigned to it?

    1. 1 b. 2-3 c. 4-5 d. 6-10 e. 11 or more

54. Does your agency follow-up on cold hits from DNA evidence?

    1. Never b. Sometimes c. Frequently d. Always

55. What factors facilitate follow-up in cold case hits from DNA evidence? (Check all that apply)

    1. Strong supporting evidence exists in addition to DNA evidence

    2. Media attention surrounding case

    3. Political pressure

    4. Necessary financial resources exist to work on case

    5. Necessary available personnel exist to work on case

    6. Strong interest exist among one or more investigators

    7. Type of crime

    8. Other (please briefly explain) ______________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

56. What factors inhibit or increase difficulty of following-up in cold case hits from DNA evidence? (Check all that apply)

    1. Lack of strong supporting evidence that exists in addition to DNA evidence

    2. Media attention surrounding case

    3. Political pressure

    4. Lack of financial resources to work on case

    5. Lack of available personnel to work on case

    6. Lack of interest among investigators

    7. Type of crime

    8. Other (please briefly explain) ______________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

57. What resources does your agency need to be able to adequately respond to cold case hits?

(Check all that apply)

1. Increase in the number of available personnel

2. Increase in grant funding for overtime

3. Training in how to respond to cold case hits

4. Increase in financial resources

5. Increase in the number of trained personnel

6. Development of a cold case unit within your agency

7. Other______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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