SUPPORTING STATEMENT – Part A
2013 Census of Law Enforcement Training Academies (CLETA)
The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) seeks clearance to implement the 2013 Census of Law Enforcement Training Academies (CLETA). The 2013 survey builds upon the previous two iterations of the CLETA data collection referencing 2002 and 2006. Like previous CLETA data collections, the proposed 2013 project includes all of the state and local law enforcement training academies offering basic recruit programs in the United States. BJS plans to field the 2013 CLETA in January 2014 and to end the data collection period no later than September 2014.
Through CLETA, BJS measures changes in the content and subject matter of basic training curriculum for new law enforcement recruits. By comparing changes in this content over time, BJS uses data from CLETA to show how the nature of policing has changed. For example, over time, training of new police recruits has emphasized new areas such as crimes against the elderly, domestic violence, cybercrime, and human trafficking as these issues have emerged and have increasing importance for police work. BJS also uses the CLETA to describe the characteristics of state and local law enforcement training academies in terms of the types of officer positions for which they train recruits; the number and types of training instructors used; academy funding sources and operating budgets; the facilities and resources that are a part of, or accessible through, the academies; the number of instruction hours provided for each training topic; the types of special training programs academies offered to basic recruits; the general training environment of the academy (stress/military style versus non-stress/academic style), the number and types of tests used to evaluate recruits, the number of recruits starting and completing basic law enforcement training programs by race and sex, and the reasons why recruits did not successfully complete their training program.
Experience with Surveying Law Enforcement Training Academies, 2002 and 2006
CLETA is part of a BJS program of law enforcement statistics that has traditionally emphasized surveys of organizations for the purpose of collecting and analyzing statistical information concerning the operations of the criminal justice system, consistent with BJS’s authorizing statute (see 42 USC § 3732(c)(4). Core to BJS’s effort in describing the operations of law enforcement agencies are the Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies (CSLLEA) (OMB Control Number 1121-0240) conducted every four years since 1992, and the Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) Survey (OMB Control Number 1121-0240) conducted every 3-5 years since 1987.
Through the CSLLEA, BJS documents changes in the number of law enforcement agencies and the number of personnel employed by each agency. The CSLLEA also provides the basis for distinguishing among various types of agencies by asking about the types of functions they perform (e.g., law enforcement, investigative, court security, process serving, and jail management).
Through LEMAS, which has been conducted eight times previously, BJS captures information about the organizational structure and operations of law enforcement agencies, including personnel, budgets, salaries, operations, vehicles, equipment, information systems, policies, and use of technology. A variety of special topics have also been covered by the survey including community policing, gangs, and domestic preparedness.
BJS uses the CLETA collection to complement the information obtained through LEMAS and the CSLLEA. The CSLLEA and LEMAS collections target the agencies that employ the sworn personnel who provide law enforcement services nationwide while the CLETA collection focuses on the training that new recruits receive and the institutions that provide the training.
Design of the 2013 CLETA Survey
BJS has enhanced the 2013 CLETA collection by deleting items that are no longer germane and by adding items to capture information on the number and type of law enforcement agencies served by academies, the academies’ accreditation status, oversight responsibilities related to field training, resource sharing, satellite locations, recycling of recruits, reasons for recruits failing to complete their training program, and new subject areas in training program curricula.
BJS has modified the format and design of several survey items to improve measurement. Examples of these changes include the addition of new response options based on focus group input or frequently used responses under the “other-specify” option in 2006 (Q3, Q40, Q43), the splitting of response options to obtain more detailed information (Q7) requested by the focus group members, the elimination of response options that were very rarely used in 2006 or determined to be redundant with other response options (Q33), and the categorization of response options to shorten the length of response option lists (Q20, Q31). See the item-by-item description of the data collection instrument that begins on page 9 for more information.
The design of the 2013 CLETA survey instrument is consistent with current leading research on survey design, as presented in Dillman, Smyth, & Christian (2010). This research includes several design elements intended to increase the ease of reading and understanding the questionnaire. First, related questions are grouped together in topical sections. In addition, the survey instrument begins with the most salient items, as respondents can sometimes lose focus and attention towards the end of a questionnaire. Questions and instructions are presented in a consistent manner on each page in order to allow respondents to comprehend question items more readily. Proper alignment and vertical spacing is also used to help respondents mentally categorize the information on the page and to aid in a neat, well-organized presentation.
The design uses clear section headers to assist respondents in recognizing different sections of the survey. Instructions regarding skip patterns are clear to assist the respondent in navigating the survey, as well. Similarly, the beginning and end of each section is marked consistently throughout the survey. Finally, in choosing a method for asking questions, the use of complex matrices has been minimized whenever possible. When a matrix-type question cannot be avoided, it is presented simplistically and with straightforward directions to ensure that respondents can understand the question being asked and the available answer choices.
In collecting the 2013 CLETA data, BJS will use a multi-mode approach in which respondents will be directed to a Web-based format as the primary mode of data collection. BJS prefers a Web-based collection as a means to increase response rates, expedite the data collection process, simplify data verification, and facilitate report preparation. In 2002, 21% of academies responded through the Web-based option, and in 2006 this percentage increased to 34%. Due to increased capabilities of the training academies and the project’s strong encouragement to respond using the web-based data collection tool, BJS expects that a majority of the academies responding to the 2013 CLETA will use the web-based option. Paper forms, including electronic PDF copies, will continue to be available as a secondary, back-up mode of submission if respondents indicate they prefer that mode. In 2012, BJS selected and funded the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) to act as the data collection agent for this program. PERF had successfully conducted the CLETA data collection twice previously.
BJS plans to conduct a census rather than a sample survey for the 2013 CLETA for two reasons. First, from a statistical perspective, the universe of training academies is small (about 700) relative to the size of a representative sample with stratification dimensions needed to address variations by academy type, size, and jurisdictional characteristics. Second, interest in this data collection by other Federal, state, and local agencies rests on its ability to measure the programs and needs in individual training academies so that funds can be targeted at individual states and academies. With a census design, these data can be used to support expansion and enhancement of law enforcement training programs through funding from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and other sources.
The 2013 CLETA is part of a continuing effort by BJS to expand statistical activities related to law enforcement in general, and law enforcement training in particular. The previous CLETA data collections, conducted in 2002 and 2006, have established historical information on the operations of the Nation’s law enforcement training academies. 1 The 2013 CLETA will update and document any changes in basic law enforcement training programs that have occurred since the 2006 CLETA. Information generated by the 2013 CLETA will help to improve the Nation’s understanding of law enforcement training. The information will be useful for Federal, State and local governments to assess the areas in which additional resources for development, improvement, or expansion of law enforcement training capabilities may be necessary.
A. Justification
Necessity of Information Collection
Under Title 42, United States Code, Section 3732 (see Attachment 1), the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is directed to collect and analyze statistical information concerning the operation of the criminal justice system at the federal, state, and local levels. State and local law enforcement agencies are the primary point of entry into the criminal justice system. Law enforcement agencies play a crucial gate keeping function in receiving reports of offenses, investigating crimes, and making arrests.
As of 2008, state and local law enforcement agencies in the U.S. employed about 765,000 full-time sworn personnel. Each of these officers was required to undergo extensive training prior to obtaining certification as a law enforcement officer. For example, the 2007 LEMAS survey found that local police officers completed an average of 1,370 hours of training prior to employment. The providers of basic law enforcement training are the approximately 700 state and local law enforcement training academies located throughout the United States.
A constant across law enforcement jurisdictions and a core element of policing is interacting with the public. It follows that peace officers should be trained in professionalism and customer service, while exhibiting proficient problem-solving skills. Beyond these interpersonal skills, officers must be trained extensively in federal and state law, evidence handling, prisoner transport, handcuffing, defensive tactics, firearms, driving, customer service and many other areas depending on the responsibilities of the employing agency. No matter what the responsibilities and priorities of a particular law enforcement agency may be, it is clear that officer training can be beneficial to officer performance.
The 2013 CLETA provides the only systematic and objective basis to produce national estimates of personnel, resources, curricula, trainees, policies, and practices of the academies that train all state and local law enforcement officers. The 2013 CLETA data is necessary to conduct comparisons with prior iterations to describe trends over time in the content of the curriculum that training academies deliver to new law enforcement recruits. With this type of comparison over time, changes in training curricula and methods can be measured which will provide a basis for assessing whether the training received by new recruits addresses the complex set of issues that law enforcement officers currently face on the job.
Needs and Uses
BJS/OJP/DOJ Needs and Uses
Through the type of trend analyses described above, BJS will use the CLETA data to help to understand the extent to which the training law enforcement personnel receive addresses the job responsibilities and circumstances they face. While it is expected that officers will enforce traffic laws, respond to emergencies, resolve disturbances, provide community services; respond to citizen complaints; and investigate, arrest, and process criminal cases as part of their duties; it is also expected that they do so with integrity and professionalism while utilizing proficient problem-solving skills. The training that officers receive must address the operational aspects of the job such as those related to medical emergencies, vehicle operations, computer use, patrol techniques, report writing, investigative processes, use of weapons, and knowledge of the law. In addition the training must address how officers interact with the community they serve, emphasizing issues such as dealing with special populations, mediation and conflict management, cultural diversity, victim response, and problem-solving. The 2013 CLETA will provide evidence for the types of training that law enforcement officers are receiving in States and jurisdictions across the country.
As a basis for understanding the capacities of law enforcement training to deliver curricula that address the variety of needs of law enforcement recruits, BJS will use the CLETA data to describe the variations in experience, education, and certification requirements for the trainers and instructors in state and local law enforcement training academies. The 2013 CLETA will also provide detailed information on the facilities and resources of academies. This will allow for the assessment of where improvements are needed and the development of future Department of Justice funding programs to provide assistance where needed.
When academies are identified as providing no training or too little training in a particular area, they can be targeted by funding programs such as those offered by BJS and COPS. Recently, BJA has funded programs in support of training law enforcement officers to improve their responses to mentally ill persons, active shooter situations, and human trafficking. The COPS Office has ongoing funding programs related to community policing development and improving tribal law enforcement. These and other programs can utilize academies identified as having more extensive training programs to provide assistance and serve as models for training expansion and enhancement. Certainly, any meaningful assessment of the performance of law enforcement agencies should begin with an examination of the training their officers have received, and the 2013 CLETA will be the source of such information.
A recently formed Department of Justice working group titled “Innovation in Policing and Assistance to Victims of Crime” has identified several important goals. One is improving policing through: 1) efforts to elevate the image and expectations of police [changes to academy curricula, etc.]; 2) constitutional policing [performance, metrics, early warning systems, etc.]; and 3) procedural justice. The 2013 CLETA will support this effort by providing baseline data on current law enforcement training curricula (especially as it relates to victims and community policing), training delivery methods, trainer and recruit evaluation methods, and recruit completion rates to the group coordinators.
The 2013 CLETA will also provide critical information on the number and characteristics of recruits entering basic law enforcement training programs and their completion rates. These data will help identify the characteristics of academies with low completion rates for women and minorities. Data are also being collected on the specific reasons for failure among female recruits. These data will help identify obstacles to obtaining greater female representation among sworn personnel employed by state and local law enforcement agencies nationwide. The data will also help identify academy trends that may be associated with recruitment and retention issues that may be occurring in law enforcement agencies during the corresponding time period. Data on reasons for failure could provide valuable assistance to agencies striving to boost completion rates without making sacrifices in the quality of officers on the street.
Uses of the CLETA data by others
The information generated from the CLETA surveys is highly relevant to the work of law enforcement practitioners, the professional research community, Department of Justice officials, and professional law enforcement organizations as it provides authoritative statistics on law enforcement training. The CLETA data are used for many purposes ranging from general summary statistics and national averages describing training academies, to more detailed examinations of specialized training related to topics such use of force, domestic preparedness, and community policing. The 2013 CLETA will provide training information related to all of these topics.
Officials from state Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) agencies, and officials from the training academies themselves, have stated they are frequent users of the information obtained from the CLETA surveys. The BJS summary report based on the 2013 CLETA will enable these users to make benchmark comparisons using characteristics such as academy type or size.
2013 CLETA Survey Items
In addition to general information describing each academy, the proposed 2013 CLETA will also collect detailed information on the personnel, resources, trainees, core curriculum, and other training issues addressed by academy programs. Overall, the 2013 CLETA instrument is similar to that used in 2006, with some questions added on selected new topic areas and the number of items on other topics (e.g. human trafficking and gangs) reduced based on programmatic needs. These modifications were based on input from focus groups, law enforcement organizations, survey research experts, and pilot test results. As was done at the conclusion of the 2002 and 2006 CLETA data collections, BJS will evaluate all comments and suggestions for improvement provided by respondents to the 2013 CLETA for possible incorporation into the next CLETA survey.
A summary of the questions proposed for 2013 and a brief summary of any changes follows:
Section A: General Academy Information (Q1 – Q10)
This section will provide information on who operates the academies and the types of officer positions for which they train recruits. Among others uses, this information can support various sampling frames of more specialized surveys targeting certain types of academies.
1. The entity “responsible for operating” the academy – For clarification purposes, this was revised from 2006 when the question asked which entity best “described” the academy.
2. Types of training offered – This was moved from the #3 position in 2006 to the #2 position in 2013 to better serve as a screener question. If an agency does not mark the “Basic law enforcement training” option then they will be considered out of scope for the 2013 CLETA and not be required to complete the rest of the questionnaire.
3. Types of officers trained – Based on focus group input, the following response options were added for 2013: Auxiliary officer, park ranger/officer, school resource officer, and public housing officer. Also, fire marshal/arson investigator was split into two response options to recognize the distinction between the two positions.
4. Number and type of agencies served by academy - This is a new item designed to allow for determining service area covered by each academy. A training academy may serve one or dozens of law enforcement agencies. The proposed 2014 Census of Law Enforcement Agencies will ask each agency which training academy it uses to prepare recruits. The information collected on the 2013 CLETA will provide a general confirmation of the responses of the law enforcement agencies.
5. Is academy State or POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training) - approved? - No change from 2006.
6. Is academy accredited by CALEA (The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies)? - New question for 2013.
7. Is college credit awarded? - This question was revised from 2006 with the “Yes” option being split into two options to reflect whether the credit was awarded automatically or through some other process (e.g., recruit-initiated). Also, the question is limited to basic training only in 2013 with a question about college credit for in-service training from 2006 dropped for 2013).
8. Academic degree – No change from 2006.
9. Length of basic recruit training program – No change from 2006.
10. Field training – A component was added for 2013 asking if the academy or the employing agency oversees field training.
Section B: Training Personnel (Q11 – Q17)
This section will provide information on the number and type of trainers and instructors, the requirements they must meet, and how they are evaluated. This will allow for analyses that examine trends in the staffing levels of academies, and the professionalization of training at law enforcement academies.
11. Number of full-time and part-time trainers or instructors - This question is limited to those providing basic training in 2013, with the inclusion of in-service and specialized trainers dropped from 2006.
12. Minimum educational requirement for trainers or instructors. Response options for “non-degree college requirement” and “graduate degree” were added for 2013.
13. Minimum years of experience required for trainers or instructors - No change from 2006.
14. Certification requirements for trainers or instructors - No change from 2006.
15. Sharing of trainers or instructors with other academies - New question for 2013. It will allow for an assessment of the degree to which some academies lack certain personnel resources and rely on other academies to provide them. This could be used to help target future funding recipients for programs related to law enforcement training.
16. Methods of evaluating trainers or instructors - Response option added for “State or POST certification”.
17. Refresher training for trainers or instructors - No change from 2006.
Section C: Academy Resources (Q18 – Q22)
This section will provide information on the financial and physical resources of training academies. This will help with the identification of funding needs that can be targeted by assistance programs.
18. Sources of funding or equipment – “College/university” funding was made a separate response option from private sector donations for 2013. Also, financial donations are no longer distinguished from equipment and facility donations.
19. Satellite training locations - New question for 2013. This item was added because it is unknown how common this expansion of the reach of training academies is across the country.
20. Academy facilities and resources - This question was revamped for 2013 by using 5 categories for grouping the different types of facilities. This should reduce the response fatigue experienced when responding to one long list. One new item was added for 2013 – Electronic tablet/iPad.
21. Academy operating budget - This item was simplified 2013. A single overall operating budget amount is now requested instead of separate salaries and wages, benefit percentages, and other operating costs as was requested in 2006 survey. The change was based on BJS’ assessment of item nonresponse and response error in the budget items asked in previous surveys. Past analytical use of the CLETA budget data was limited to the overall operating budget so the information loss should not be an issue.
22. Equipment budget – No change from 2006.
Section D: Academy Trainees (Q23 – Q28)
This section will provide information on the completion rates for recruits in basic training programs. This will allow for the identification of academy characteristics such as number and type of instructors, financial resources, facilities, curricula, and training environment that may be related to completion rates. The extent to which academies attempt to increase completion rates by recycling recruits can also be examined. Finally, the completion rates of recruits by race and sex can be examined in relation to academy characteristics to identify factors that may be impeding progress in increasing the number of women and minorities employed by law enforcement agencies.
23. Use of class structure – No change from 2006.
24. a) Number of recruits starting and completing training by year – This question was redesigned because of some confusion in 2006 caused by defining classes by both the year they started and the year they ended. Now the classes will be defined only by the year in which they ended. Based on the feedback received, this format should be easier for respondents to interpret.
b) Recycled trainees – New question for 2013. This question was added based on feedback that some recruits who don’t graduate with their class later return to complete the part(s) of the training program they failed to complete earlier. Obtaining the number of recycled recruits will allow for a more accurate interpretation of recruit failure rates.
25. Completion rates by sex - Sex has been separated from race/ethnicity for 2013. In 2006, respondents were asked to provide data by sex within each category of race/ethnicity. The new format of asking for sex and race breakdowns in separate questions should reduce respondent burden and decrease non-response. These completion rates can be examined to determine if certain types of academies have poor completion rates for women relative to other academies. The completion counts and rates by academy also are a good measure of the characteristics of recruits entering law enforcement.
26. Completion rates by race/ethnicity - See Q25 above for explanation. These completion rates can be examined to determine if certain types of academies have poor completion rates for minorities relative to other academies.
27. Reasons for failure to complete training program, by gender – New question for 2013. During the analyses of the 2006 CLETA data, it was discovered that while male and female recruits had similar completion rates in low-stress academic-style academies, female recruits had lower completion rates than males in high-stress military-style academies. The Office for Civil Rights in the Office of Justice Programs has requested that BJS provide more detailed information that might help address why the representation of women in law enforcement remains disproportionately low. This new question will create the ability to analyze in greater detail the underlying reasons for differences in completion rate by gender. If the results from this question are successful, the addition of race may be considered for the next CLETA data collection.
28. Rules of behavior for recruits and consequences for violations – No change from 2006.
Section E: Academy Curricula (Q29 – Q33)
This section will provide information on the training curricula at academies including how it is developed, topics covered, the amount of time spent on each topic, and the methods of training delivery. These data can be examined in terms of how law enforcement training is changing over time to reflect the changing nature of policing. The data will also help identify the differences and similarities between training programs. The section will also provide information on the type of training environment used and the methods of evaluating recruits. These data can be examined in conjunction with the completion rates for recruits.
29. Methods of curriculum development – No change from 2006.
30. Stress level of training environment – A 7-point scale will be used in 2013. This will allow for more precision than the 5-point scale used in 2006. The 2013 data will be used primarily to compare the training environments of different types of academies, and the completion rates of recruits based on the stress level of the training environment.
31. Subjects covered and number of hours of instruction required – This question was redesigned so that the list of 33 subject areas are grouped by category. The categories to be used are: Operations, Weapons/Defensive Tactics, Legal, Community Policing, Self-improvement, and Special Topics. In 2006, the subject areas were presented in one long alphabetical list. The new format should reduce respondent fatigue and improve response rates and reliability. Based on feedback from survey advisors, the following subject areas were added for 2013: traffic accident investigations, defensive tactics, nonlethal weapons, juvenile justice law and procedures, traffic law, problem-solving approaches, communications, professionalism, clandestine drug labs, crimes against children, cyber/internet crimes, mental illness, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and victim response.
32. Training delivery methods – New question for 2013.
33. Types of tests used for evaluating recruits – Same as in 2006 except for deletion of the response option “State or POST- constructed knowledge tests”. It was determined this is covered by the response option “State competency exams”.
Section F: Other Training Issues (Q34 – Q43)
This section will provide information on how training academies approach specific topical areas such as terrorism and community policing. These data will provide information relevant to funding programs with the Department of Justice to help target specific training areas and academies as needed. The data will also provide information related to the use of firearms, non-lethal weapons, and defensive tactics. These data can be used in conjunction with data about citizen complaints against officers, especially those complaints related to excessive use of force.
34. Basic training instruction topics related to terrorism - Same as in 2006 except for the addition of the following response options: Disaster response and recovery, working with information-sharing fusion centers, and special events.
35. Use of reality-based (mock) scenarios in training – no change from 2006.
36. Types of weapons instruction - No change from 2006 except for the addition of an “other” response option.
37. Other firearms-related training – No change from 2006.
38. Control/defensive tactics instruction – No change from 2006.
39. Training on how to identify excessive use of force by other officers – No change from 2006.
40. Community policing topics – Same as 2006 except for the addition of response option “Interacting with youth”.
41. Training or orientation for families of recruits – Two parts of the question are new for 2013; one asks when does it occur, and the other asks if the recruits are present.
42. Types of patrol training – No change from 2006.
43. Specialized training topics offered outside of basic training – The following response options were added for 2013: advanced firearms, crisis intervention teams, response to an active shooter, leadership/command staff training, incident command, advanced narcotics, intelligence gathering and analysis, advanced investigations, crimes against children, juvenile justice, specialized legal topics, interpersonal skills, social networking as an investigative tool, interrogation/interviewing, and DUI/sobriety.
Use of Information Technology
The 2013 CLETA online and paper forms have been developed using IBM SPSS Data Collection. This software package is a complete technology platform that supports the entire survey research lifecycle, from web and paper survey authoring to data collection and reporting. The SPSS Data Collection Paper software enables the production of paper questionnaires within Microsoft Word. The SPSS Data Collection Web Interviews software authors web-based data collection instruments, offering respondents the highest levels of security (including password protection) and the ability to pause the survey and complete it later. It also has the ability to embed skip patterns, edit checks, and other useful functions. The software also enables the analyst to create reports by exporting data in a variety of proprietary or standard formats or perform data analysis seamlessly, using statistical, text mining and data mining products such as IBM SPSS Statistics.
The 2013 CLETA will utilize a multi-mode design. Respondents will be directed to the primary mode of data collection (i.e. the web-based data collection instrument) by providing them with instructions for submitting their data online. Web-based data collection is the preferred method to promote high response rates, expedite the data collection process, simplify data verification, and facilitate report preparation. In 2002, 21% of academies responded through the Web-based option, and in 2006 this percentage increased to 34%. It is expected that a majority of the academies responding to the 2013 CLETA will use the web-based option. Paper forms, including electronic PDF copies, will continue to be available as a back-up mode of submission if respondents indicate they prefer that mode. BJS has selected the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) to act as the data collection agent for this program. PERF has successfully conducted the CLETA data collection twice previously.
Efforts to Identify Duplication
Based on our knowledge of the Federal statistical system, in general, and law enforcement surveys in particular, BJS has determined that the 2013 CLETA does not include measures found in surveys conducted by any other Federal agencies. The only survey identified that includes any similar types of data collection items is a survey the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST) conducts every few years of each state POST. Their survey only collects state-level data. It does collect any data at the academy level, which is the focus of the BJS survey. BJS has been careful to avoid any duplication with the IADLEST survey, and IADLEST fully supports the BJS survey effort.
BJS has collaborated with the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) of the U.S. Department of Justice to develop questions related to the community policing programs funded by the office. This collaboration has avoided the collection of information already available or soon to be available from surveys or other data collections conducted by each agency.
Efforts to Minimize Burden
The proposed 2013 CLETA instrument was designed to minimize the respondents’ burden in two ways. First, based on feedback received from the law enforcement and research communities, the new instrument features questions that have been refined to increase clarity and improve response options where needed. Second, the 2013 instrument was designed specifically for web-based data collection, with built-in assistance modules and edit checks.
We expect that most respondents will make use of the online survey software to complete the survey. A number of web-based system functions will be in place to ease the burden of survey completion. The Police Executive Research Forum will utilize an intelligent log-in program for data collection, which will store agency information and responses, allowing for multi-session, non-sequential completion of the survey instrument. Since many agencies, particularly the larger ones, will need to seek out multiple information sources within their organizations to answer different sections, this will reduce the burden on them by facilitating data entry from different sources. It will also reduce the burden by allowing them to stop response entry pending confirmation of information from others in the agency. Help icons located next to each survey question will link respondents to item-specific information, additional guidance, and helpdesk contact information to facilitate requests for assistance.
The online system will provide instructions and a glossary of terms for respondent reference. Respondents who lack the capability to utilize the web-based survey instrument will receive a paper-based survey by fax or mail with paper-based instructions and a glossary of terms identical to those provided in the web version. PERF will also create a help desk that will provide assistance by phone and email to all respondents. The help desk will be staffed during normal business hours (Eastern Time) and will be available to all respondents through a toll-free number.
A data collection manager will oversee the help desk. When the manager is not available, calls will automatically be routed to another team member for immediate response. Voice mail will be available during off hours and a dedicated CLETA help e-mail address will be provided with the introductory letter and survey packet. Phone numbers and e-mail addresses for the survey principal investigator will be provided to respondents to ensure timely communications.
In November 2012, BJS provided the draft CLETA instrument to eight law enforcement training officials from seven academies to review the new questions that were added, and the minor changes made to some of the questions being carried over from 2006. PERF conducted follow-up cognitive interviews with these academy officials which resulted in changes in the number, type and wording of questions from the draft instrument for incorporation into the revised version. The comments and results of this process are provided in Attachment 7.
Consequences of Less Frequent Collection
Based in part on recommendations from the National Research Council (Groves and Cork, 2011) and the Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (Melekian, 2011), BJS has determined that it is necessary to improve the timeliness of the publications flowing from its law enforcement data collections. For CLETA, the periodicity of the collection has been extended to 7 years for this cycle. The proposed data collection cycle should result in a publication released in early 2015 discussing data covering training academy in 2013, reducing the traditional gap between reference date and publication release date.
The last Census of Law Enforcement Training Academies described the programs, facilities, staff, clients, and budgets of training academies in 2006. Most professionals believe the economic recession has reduced the budgets of many law enforcement agencies. One outcome of these budget reductions could be a decline in the number of new recruits being hired by law enforcement agencies. Another outcome may be a reduction in the amount of training given to new recruits, operationalized by either removing some aspects of training from the normal curriculum or reducing the number of hours spent on different topics.
Another factor possibly affecting the law enforcement training has been changes in the priorities of law enforcement agencies. In recent years, as crime has declined, agencies have increased their attention on new priority areas (e.g., terrorism, human trafficking, gun crimes, predictive policing, and police-public interactions). The 2013 CLETA will help measure the degree to which these areas have been the focus of increased attention in basic training programs.
In many ways the nature of policing is changing and these changes should be reflected in the activities of training academies. A new CLETA will capture training academy activity in 2013 just as the Nation begins to pull out of the recession. At this transitional point, the 2013 CLETA will provide correlational evidence of the effect of the recession, changing crime patterns, and new law enforcement priorities on law enforcement recruiting and training.
Special Circumstances
No special circumstances have been identified for this project.
Adherence to 5 CFR 1320.8(d) and Outside Consultations
BJS shared drafts of the 2013 CLETA questionnaire with members of two focus groups. The first focus group was held in conjunction with the annual conference of the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST). This group consisted of the members of the IADLEST Executive Committee listed below.
Attendees for 2013 CLETA Focus Group #1 (Held on June 10, 2012 in Savannah, Georgia)
(Held on December 4, 2012 in Washington, DC) The first group met on June 10, 2013 in Savannah, Georgia at the annual meeting of the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST) to identify critical issues in law enforcement training that should be addressed by the CLETA project. The Savannah focus group included 12 members of the IADLEST executive committee, and the meeting was facilitated by Brian Reaves, CLETA Program Manager for BJS. In addition to the IADLEST director and deputy director, others members of the IADLEST executive committee attending the focus group meeting included state law enforcement training directors from Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Nevada, Nebraska, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Texas. Attendees are listed below. Participants in 2013 CLETA Focus Group #1 (June 10, 2013 in Savannah, GA) |
|
Mike Becar, Executive Director IADLEST 3287 Tasa Drive Meridian, ID 83642 |
Anthony Silva, Executive
Director |
Patrick Judge, Deputy Director IADLEST |
Rusty Goodpaster, Executive Director Law Enforcement Training Board PO Box 313 Plainfield, IN 46168 |
Richard Clark, Executive Director Nevada Peace Officer Standards & Training 5587 Wa Pai Shone Ave. Carson City, NV 89701 |
William Floyd, Manager |
William J. Muldoon, Director Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center 3600 North Academy Road. Grand Island, NE 68801 |
C. Kim Vickers, Executive
Director |
Jon Bierne, Director Rol Kebach Criminal Justice Training Center 500 East Capitol Pierre, SD 57501 |
William Flink, Division Administrator Idaho Peace Officer Standards & Training 700 South Stratford Drive Meridian, ID 83642 |
Charles Melville, Director |
Brian Reaves, Statistician Bureau of Justice Statistics 810 Seventh St., NW Washington, DC 20531 |
Lloyd Halvorson, Director |
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A second focus group meeting was held on December 4, 2012 at the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) with Bruce Kubu, PERF Deputy Director for Research, serving as facilitator. An updated draft of the CLETA questionnaire (see attachment 6) based on comments from the first focus group was provided to members of the second group. The second focus group meeting emphasized optimizing the design and content of the questionnaire, and consisted of officials from training academies located primarily in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. These officials represented a good cross-section of academies in terms of size and type. Budget limitations did not allow for a wider range of geographical representation at the second focus group; however, this was achieved in the first focus group meeting.
The law enforcement training academies represented at the second focus group meeting included one state academy (Virginia), one regional academy (Northern Virginia), two municipal academies (Baltimore (MD) and Chesapeake (VA), two county academies (Fairfax County (VA), and Montgomery County (MD), and one university academy (University of Maryland at College Park). Daniel Woods and Nathan Ballard of PERF also attended as did Brian Reaves and Ron Malega of BJS. Attendees at the second focus group meeting are listed on the following page. These individuals also served as pilot test participants. Please see Attachment 7 for a summary of pilot test and second focus group meeting comments.
Attendees for 2013 CLETA Focus Group #2 (Held on December 4, 2012 in Washington, DC) |
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Major Eric Russell Baltimore City Police Academy 242 W. 29th St. Baltimore, MD 21211 |
Captain Lenmuel Terry Virginia State Police Academy PO Box 27472 Richmond, VA 23261 |
Lt. John Landfair Chesapeake Police Academy 1080 Sentry Drive Chesapeake, VA 23323 |
Bruce Kubu, Deputy Director of Research Police Executive Research Forum 1120 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 930 Washington, DC 20531 |
Major Cynthia McAlister Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy 14601 Lee Rd. Chantilly, VA 20151 |
Daniel Woods, Research Associate Police Executive Research Forum 1120 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 930 Washington, DC 20531 |
Captain Paul Thornton Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy 14601 Lee Rd. Chantilly, VA 20151 |
Nathan Ballard, Research Assistant Police Executive Research Forum 1120 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 930 Washington, DC 20531 |
Lt. Frank Stone Montgomery County Training Academy 9710 Great Seneca Highway Rockville, MD 20850 |
Brian Reaves Bureau of Justice Statistics 810 Seventh Street, NW Washington, DC 20531 |
William O’Toole, Director Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy 45299 Research Pl. Ashburn, VA 20147 |
Ron Malega, Statistician Bureau of Justice Statistics 810 Seventh Street, NW Washington, DC 20531 |
Sgt. Ken Leonard University of Maryland Police Academy 7101 51st. Ave College Park, MD 20742 |
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In addition to the two focus groups conducted to obtain feedback on the CLETA questionnaire, BJS also provided a draft questionnaire to three other professional law enforcement entities for comment. These included the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), the Research Office of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and the Education and Training Committee of the National Sheriffs’ Association.
BJS Deputy Director Howard Snyder, along with statisticians Brian Reaves and Ron Malega met with members of the COPS office in January, 2013 to discuss their feedback on the CLETA questionnaire. COPS staff providing comments included the following:
Karl Bickel
Senior Policy Analyst
(202) 514-5914
Rob Chapman
Social Science Research Analyst
(202) 514-8278
Jessica Mansourian
Program Analyst
202-616-9503
John Markovic
Social Science Research Analyst
202-353-9913
Debra McCullough, Ph.D.
Social Science Research Analyst
202-514-8246
BJS provided members of the IACP research staff with a draft of the questionnaire via email in June 2012 and again in January 2013 for feedback. IACP staff offering comments on the instrument included the following:
John Firman
Research Director
703-836-6767 x207
Aviva Kurash, MSW
Senior Program Manager
703-836-6767 x809
Kelly Burke
Program Manager
703-836-6767 x842
At the winter meeting of the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) in January 2013, Brian Reaves of BJS and Bruce Kubu of PERF attended the proceedings of the NSA Education and Training Committee to solicit feedback on the CLETA questionnaire. The instrument was made available to committee members both via email and in hard copy. NSA Staff members working with BJS included:
Fred Wilson
Director of Operations
703 838-5322
Sheriff Gabriel Morgan (Newport News, VA)
Chair, Education and Training Committee
(757) 926-8535
In addition to obtaining feedback from subject matter experts from IADLEST, IACP, and NSA, experts on data collection and questionnaire design from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago were also consulted in January 2013. NORC staff members providing feedback included the following:
Kari Carris
Associate Director
312-759-4295
Stephanie Poland
Survey Director
312-759-4261
Vince Welch
Senior Survey Methodologist
312-759-4085
Paying Respondents
Neither BJS nor the Police Executive Research Forum will provide any payment or gift of any type to respondents. Respondents will participate on a voluntary basis.
Assurance of Confidentiality
According to 42 U.S.C. 3735 Section 304, the information gathered in this data collection shall be used only for statistical or research purposes, and shall be gathered in a manner that precludes their use for law enforcement or any purpose relating to a particular individual other than statistical or research purposes. The data collected through the 2013 CLETA represent institutional characteristics of publicly-administered regional, state, and local law enforcement training academies. The fact that participation in this survey is voluntary and that information about individual agency responses will be available to the public is included on the first page of the survey instrument. Respondents will also be informed in written communications sent to them that the information provided about their academy will be in the public domain. However, it will also be made clear to them that BJS and PERF will not release the names, phone numbers, or email addresses of the actual persons responsible for completing the 2013 CLETA instruments.
Justification for Sensitive Questions
There are no questions of a sensitive nature in the proposed 2013 CLETA.
Estimate of Respondent Burden
BJS has estimated the respondent burden for the proposed 2013 CLETA Survey at 1,470 hours. The 2013 CLETA burden estimate was calculated using an estimate of 2 hours per respondent for the completion of the 14-page, 43-question questionnaire being completed by 700 training academies. The 2-hour estimate is based on feedback received during the administration of the 2006 CLETA instrument and the pilot testing of the 2013 CLETA instrument, taking into account the differences between the two data collection instruments. More specifically, a paper-based version of the draft 2013 CLETA instrument was reviewed by eight representatives from seven training academies located in Maryland and Virginia (see page 16 for list). Respondents were asked to complete the survey, consider the clarity of survey questions, and provide time burden estimates for completion of the survey. Respondents were also interviewed by phone with specific questions about each section and the overall survey. The burden estimates ranged from 1.5 hours to 3 hours with an average of approximately 2 hours per respondent.
Based on results from the 2006 CLETA, it is expected that all of the approximately 700 law enforcement training academies expected to be eligible for the 2013 CLETA data collection will respond with a completed survey. An additional 70 hours was added to the 2013 burden estimate to allow for a test-retest reliability assessment in which some of the survey questions will be re-administered to a sample consisting of 10% (or 70) of the original respondents. If an item has low test-retest reliability it will be revised and retested it until acceptable reliability is obtained before its use in future surveys. If an item proves to be unreliable in the 2013 survey, it will be removed from the analysis plan for the 2013 data.
Estimate of Respondent’s Cost Burden
BJS anticipates that the full-time equivalent of one employee person per surveyed academy will complete the data collection instrument, with pay approximately equivalent to the GS-12 / 01 level ($71,901 per year). Based on the estimated time burden, the agency cost of employee time would be approximately $34.57 per hour. The base respondent employee time cost burden is estimated at $50,818 (based on 1,470 total burden hours). Fringe benefits costs are estimated to average 46% of the base cost, resulting in a total salary and benefits cost of $74,194. Indirect costs are estimated to average 37% of the salary and benefits total, or $23,376, for an overall total respondent cost burden of $101,646.
There are no anticipated costs to respondents beyond the employee time expended during completion of the survey instrument and addressed in the above section. This expectation was further reinforced through the pre-test results; none of the eight responding academies reported additional costs incurred by survey participation.
Costs to Federal Government
The total expected cost to the Federal Government for this data collection is $396,356, to be borne entirely by the BJS. This work consists of planning, developing the questionnaire, preparation of materials, collecting the data, evaluating the results, and generating the PDF and web based query reports. A BJS GS-Level 14 statistician will be responsible for overseeing the Police Executive Research Forum’s work on this project. The budget for this project is shown on the following page:
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|
|
Estimated Costs for the 2013 CLETA Survey |
||
Bureau of Justice Statistics |
|
|
Staff salaries |
|
|
2013 Fiscal Year |
|
|
GS-12 Statistician (20%) |
|
$14,380 |
GS-14 Senior Statistician (40%) |
|
$54,684 |
GS-13 Editor (10%) |
|
$8,550 |
Other Editorial Staff |
|
$5,000 |
Senior BJS Management |
|
$3,000 |
Subtotal salaries |
|
$85,614 |
Fringe benefits (28% of salaries) |
|
$23,972 |
Subtotal: Salary & fringe |
|
$109,586 |
Other administrative costs of salary & fringe (15%) |
|
$12,842 |
Subtotal: BJS costs |
|
$146,400 |
|
|
|
Data Collection Agent (Police Executive Research Forum) |
|
|
Personnel |
|
$74,937 |
Fringe Benefits |
|
$34,246 |
Travel |
|
$938 |
Equipment |
|
$1,000 |
Supplies |
|
$600 |
Consultants/Contracts |
|
$62,627 |
Other |
|
$7,826 |
Total Direct Costs |
|
$182,174 |
Total Indirect |
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$67,782 |
Subtotal Data Collection Agent |
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$249,956 |
Total estimated costs |
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$396,356 |
Reason for Change in Burden
The total estimated respondent time burden has increased by 70 hours from the estimated burden for the 2006 CLETA. This change in burden is due to the addition of a reliability testing component to the data collection which requires that 10% of the respondents answer selected questions again. This retesting will be limited to questions that are new for 2013 or have resulted in a relatively large number of questions from respondents.
Project Schedule and Publication Plans
Pending OMB approval, the 2013 CLETA data collection is scheduled to begin in January 2014 (see Attachments 8 and 9 for paper and web versions of the survey instrument). The data collection period is scheduled to end no later than September 2014. The design of the 2013 CLETA program plan calls for the initiation of preliminary data analyses including the assessment of item nonresponse biases when the agency response rate hits 50 percent. The preliminary data analyses will include test-retest reliability testing for selected items. If an item is shown to have low test-retest reliability, it will be removed from the analysis of the 2013 data and revised and retested in subsequent versions of the survey.
Once the response rate reaches at least 80%, and the data are cleaned and verified, BJS can publish a preliminary data brief. This data brief is planned for late 2014 and will contain limited findings related to the types of academies that provide basic training, the types of agencies they serve, the types of officer positions they provide training for, and the topics covered in their training curricula. Once all data are collected, and cleaning and verification are completed, final analytical work will begin with plans to issue the BJS full summary report “State and Local Law Enforcement Training Academies, 2013”, no later than March 2015. This report will provide readers with general information on the characteristics of state and local law enforcement training academies in terms of their trainers and instructors, their facilities and resources, their core curricula, their trainees, and special training programs. While this program anticipates a final response rate of at least 95%, BJS will publish the data if the response rate falls short of that mark and, consistent with BJS and OMB data quality standards, will include a nonresponse bias assessment for a response rate less than 80%. Both the preliminary data brief and final summary report will be provided to the public on the BJS web site.
The dataset, and supporting documentation, will be made available for download without charge at the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data at the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) and at Data.gov. It is expected the data will be available to the public for download in May 2015. Access to these data permits analysts to identify the specific responses of individual training academies and to conduct statistical analyses. These data will have agency and jurisdiction specific identifiers that will permit the public use of these data in combination with other data files with similar agency or location identifiers.
Display of Expiration Date
The expiration date will be shown on the survey form.
Exception to the Certificate Statement
BJS is not requesting an exception to the certification of this information collection.
1 The final reports summarizing these data collections, “State and Local Law Enforcement Training Academies, 2002” (http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/slleta06.pdf), and “State and Local Law Enforcement Training Academies, 2006” (http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/slleta06.pdf), as well as the final datasets and documentation, may be found on the BJS website.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Howard Snyder |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-29 |