Attachments

2023 LEMAS Supplement Cognitive Interview Generic Clearance Attachments
Attachment A:
Attachment B:
Attachment C:
Attachment D:
Attachment E:
Attachment F:
Attachment G:

Page 1 of 47

LEMAS Supplement Survey – Post-Academy Training questionnaire
LEMAS Supplement Survey – Response to Police Suicide questionnaire
LEMAS Supplement Survey Cognitive Testing Protocol
Agency Invite Letter
Non-Response Follow-Up Phone Script
Cognitive Interview Packet Cover Letter
RTI LECS IRB Determination

Attachment A: LEMAS Supplement Survey – Post-Academy Training questionnaire

Agency Information
1.

Enter the number of full-time and part-time paid agency employees for the pay period
that included December 31, 2022.

❖ Count employees who were regularly scheduled to work less than 35 hours per week
as part-time. If none, enter '0'

Pay period that included December 31, 2022:
Full-time

Part-time

a. Sworn personnel with general arrest powers
b. Officers/deputies with limited or no arrest powers (e.g.,
jail or correctional deputies)
c. Non-sworn/civilian personnel
d. Total number of employees (sum of rows a, b, and c)

2.

Enter your agency's total operating budget for the fiscal year that included December
31, 2022. If the budget is not available, provide an estimate and check the box below.
DO NOT include building construction costs or major equipment purchases.

Operating budget: $

,

Please mark if this figure is an estimate

Page 2 of 47

,

,

.00

Post-Academy Characteristics
For purposes of this survey, “post-academy training” is defined as law enforcement training
provided to full-time sworn personnel with general arrest powers at any point in their career
following any recruit/field training. To qualify as “post-academy” training, expenses for the
training should be approved or provided by your agency (e.g., paid by the agency, course
registration approved by the agency). Training can be in-person or web-based distance learning.

“Post-academy training” includes:
❖ Mandatory training required to maintain officer certification or licensure.
❖ Mandatory training required by law or other mandate (e.g., state or local legislation,
judicial ruling, consent decree, or collaborative reform).
❖ Promotional training provided by your agency.
❖ Elective training provided by your agency beyond requirements of the law.
❖ Elective or mandatory training provided by other law enforcement, state, or federal
agencies beyond the requirement of law
Do NOT include any training:

❖ Associated with basic academy training or field training programs for new officers or
deputies.
❖ Used in lieu of disciplinary action.
3.

Enter your agency’s total budget for post-academy training for the fiscal year that
included December 31, 2022. If the budget is not available, provide an estimate and
check the box below. DO NOT include building construction costs or major equipment
purchases.

Post-academy training budget: $

Please mark if this figure is an estimate

Page 3 of 47

,

,

.00

4. In the calendar year 2022, did your agency …
Yes

No

a. Provide any post-academy training to your agency’s fulltime sworn personnel using trainers employed or
contracted by your agency?
b. Provide any post-academy training to full-time sworn
personnel from an outside agency?
c. Send your agency’s full-time sworn personnel to
participate in post-academy training provided by an
outside agency or organization?

5. What was the minimum annual number of post-academy hours of training that were
mandated for your agency’s full-time sworn personnel as of December 31, 2022? If no
training was mandated, enter ‘0’.
Hours
a. Hours mandated by state POST or state law
b. Hours mandated by local law
c. Additional training hours mandated, but not
by law
d. Total hours of training (sum of rows a, b, and
c)

The next few questions refer to the calendar year 2022, that is, January through December
2022.

IF ANSWER FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING HOURS(ITEM C IN QUESTION 5) >0, GO TO QUESTION
5a BELOW, OTHERWISE GO TO Q6

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5a. For agency training not mandated by law during 2022, were any of the following used

to develop the content of your agency’s additional training?
Yes

No

Job task analysis or needs analysis
State- or POST- commission standards or
requirements
Subject matter expert input or recommendations
Law enforcement advisory board input or
recommendations
Academy staff input or recommendations
Formal community input or recommendations (e.g.,
advisory board, commission reports)
Informal community needs or request (e.g.,
conversations with the community, general feedback
from community)
State legislative requirements
Local legislative requirements
Internal agency decisions by chief executive and
command staff
Consent decree
Judicial ruling
Agency accreditation requirements
Grant requirements
Other (Please specify):

6. In 2022, did your agency provide specific training for full-time sworn personnel following
a promotion or assignment to any of the positions listed below?

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If the position does not exist or if no new assignments were made in 2022, select N/A.

Yes

No

N/A

Chief executive
Intermediate supervisor (below chief
executive and above sergeant or first-line
supervisor)
Sergeant or equivalent first-line supervisor
Detective, violent crime
Detective, property crime

7. Did your agency authorize or provide any of the following for full-time sworn personnel
in 2022?
Yes
No
Education incentive pay
Special skills proficiency pay
College tuition reimbursement
Flexible hours to attend college
Flexible hours to attend law enforcement
conferences

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Providers of Post-Academy Training
[FOR AGENCIES THAT PROVIDE THEIR OWN OST-ACADEMY TRAINING – YES TO Q4a]
8. As of December 31, 2022, how many personnel were serving as post-academy trainers
or instructors in each category shown below?
Full-time trainers or Part-time trainers
instructors
or instructors
Sworn personnel employed by your
agency
Retired law enforcement personnel
employed by your agency
Non-sworn/civilian personnel employed
by your agency
Sworn personnel NOT employed by your
agency
Retired law enforcement personnel NOT
employed by your agency
Non-sworn/civilian personnel NOT
employed by your agency

Questions 9, 10 and 11 ask about full-time post-academy trainers only in the calendar year
2022.
9. In 2022, what was the minimum education requirement for your agency’s full-time
post-academy trainers or instructors?
a. Graduate degree required
b. Four-year college degree required
c. Two-year college degree required
d. Some college but no college degree required
e. High school diploma or equivalent required
f. Minimum education requirement varied by training subject
g. Not applicable – There was no formal education requirement

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10. In 2022, were any of the following certifications required for full-time post-academy
trainers or instructors used by your agency?
Yes
No
State- or POST- certification
Academy certification
Qualified subject matter expert
Other (Please specify)______________

11. In 2022, what was the minimum number of years of law enforcement experience
required for your agency’s full-time post-academy trainers or instructors? If there was
no minimum requirement, enter 0. ____

12. For post-academy training conducted in 2022, did your agency use any personnel from
the following agencies/organizations to provide training within your agency?
Yes
No
Outside law enforcement agency
State or local government
Federal government
For-profit organizations (e.g., businesses, corporations,
LLCs)
Non-profit organizations (e.g., NGOs, philanthropies,
community groups)
Colleges or universities

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13. In 2022, were any of the following used to evaluate the performance of post-academy
trainers or instructors used by your agency?
Yes
No
Supervisory evaluation
Peer evaluations
Student feedback/evaluations
Other (Please specify) ______________

Post-Academy Training Content
14.

Please indicate whether your agency provided post-academy training instruction on the
following subject areas since 2018.
❖ Include training regardless of how it is provided (e.g., by your agency, by an outside
agency).
❖ Only include training for your full-time sworn personnel with general arrest
powers.
❖ For each subject area that is mandatory or optional, complete the questions under
the “If applicable” heading.
❖ We understand that these categories may not reflect your course titles and the list is
not comprehensive. Please give us your best estimates, even if a topic was
integrated throughout the curriculum.

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Please select one choice for each subject area

Training subject area
Operations
First-aid/CPR
Computers/information systems (e.g.,
records or case management systems,
new software)
Emergency vehicle operations
Evidence processing and storage
Interrogation/interviewing
Criminal investigation
procedures/techniques
Patrol procedures/techniques
Traffic enforcement safety/tactics
Strip search/stop and frisk

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Mandator
y for all
full-time
sworn
officers

Optional or
mandatory only
for some fulltime sworn
officers

Not provided
since 2018

If applicable (complete if training is mandatory or
optional)
Number of
hours for
most recent
training

Frequency since 2018
More than
once per
year

Once per
year

Less than once
per year

Foot pursuits
Vehicle pursuits
SWAT/Hostage
School resource officer (SRO)
Hazardous materials and Weapons of
Mass Destruction (WMD) incidents
Defensive Tactics
Reporting use of force
Electronic control weapons
OC spray
Baton
Firearms skills
Physical comply and control tactics
Martial arts training (e.g. ju-jitsu)
Legal Updates
Legal Updates (including local, state,
and federal)
Sexual harassment

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Community Policing
Community partnership
building/collaboration
Problem solving
Self-Improvement
Health, fitness, and nutrition
Stress prevention/management
Agency Management
In-custody deaths
Civilian complaints
Body-worn cameras
First line Supervision
Leadership training
Special Topics
Crimes against children
Cyber/internet crimes
Domestic violence

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DUI
Elder abuse
Ethics and integrity
Hate crimes/bias crimes
Human trafficking
Substance use disorders (e.g., opioids,
methamphetamines, hallucinogenics)
Responding to victims of sexual
assault
Juveniles
Public records / FOIA

14a

Please indicate whether your post-academy training provided instruction on the Agency Technical subject areas since 2018.
❖ If your agency has never provided post-academy training on an Agency Technical subject area, please check NA – Never
provided
❖ Include training regardless of how it is provided (e.g., by your agency, by an outside agency).
❖ Only include training for your full-time sworn personnel with general arrest powers.
❖ For each subject area that is mandatory or optional, complete the questions under the “If applicable” heading.

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❖ We understand that these categories may not reflect your course titles and the list is not comprehensive. Please give us
your best estimates, even if a topic was integrated throughout the curriculum.

Please select one choice for each subject area

Mandatory
for all fulltime sworn
officers
Training subject area
Agency Technical
Facial recognition
Drones
LPR
Other (Please Specify):
______

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Optional or
mandatory
only for
some fulltime sworn
officers

If applicable (complete if training is mandatory
or optional)
Frequency since 2018

Not
provide
d since
2018

NA –
Never
provided

Number of
hours for
most recent
training

More
than
once per
year

Once
per
year

Less than
once per
year

14b:

Since 2018, did your agency provide specific training for full-time sworn personnel following a promotion or assignment to any of the
positions listed below?

If the position does not exist or if no new assignments were made in 2022, select N/A.

Yes

No

N/A

School resource officer (SRO)
SWAT/Hostage negotiations
Community police officer
K9
Crisis intervention team
Civilian or intelligence analyst (sworn or nonsworn/civilian)

14c.

Since 2018, did your post-academy training provide any instruction on how to identify or respond to potential excessive force
used by other officers or deputies?
a. Yes
b. No

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Detailed Information on Select Topics
[RESPONDENTS WILL BE ASKED DETAILED QUESTIONS ABOUT A SELECT SET OF TOPICS. IF MANDATORY OR OPTIONAL, PRESENT
FIRST SET OF QUESTIONS. IF NOT PROVIDED, PRESENT SECOND SET OF QUESTIONS]

15.

For the following topics, please consider any post-academy training for full-time sworn personnel provided by your agency
since 2018.
❖ Include training regardless of how it is provided (e.g., by your agency, by an outside agency).

Please select one choice for each subject area

Training subject area

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Mandatory
for all fulltime sworn
officers

Optional or
mandatory
only for
some fulltime sworn
officers

Not provided
since 2018

If applicable complete if training is
mandatory or optional)

Number of
hours for
most recent
training

Month and year of
most recent training

Public order / Protest management / Mass demonstrations

__/____ [MM/YYYY]

Racial profiling, unbiased policing, implicit bias

__/____ [MM/YYYY]

Response to an active shooter

__/____ [MM/YYYY]

Use of force continuum/situational use of force

__/____ [MM/YYYY]

De-escalation/verbal judo

__/____ [MM/YYYY]

Procedural justice

__/____ [MM/YYYY]

Suicide prevention/mental health awareness

__/____ [MM/YYYY]

Peer intervention training

__/____ [MM/YYYY]

Responding to persons with mental illness/behavioral health issues (e.g.,
crisis intervention)

__/____ [MM/YYYY]

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Homeless persons

__/____ [MM/YYYY]

❖ Only include training for your full-time sworn personnel with general arrest powers.
❖ For each subject area that is mandatory or optional, complete the questions under the “If applicable” heading.
❖ We understand that these categories may not reflect your course titles and the list is not comprehensive. Please give us
your best estimates, even if a topic was integrated throughout the curriculum.

Page 18 of 47

[IF TRAINING IS MANDATORY OR OPTIONAL]

For the following questions on [TOPIC], please answer according to how the post-academy
training was most recently provided.

16.

Did your agency use any personnel from the following agencies/organizations to provide
training within your agency on [TOPIC]?

Page 19 of 47

Yes

No

Yes

No

Outside law enforcement agency
Other state or local government
Federal government
For-profit organizations (e.g., businesses, corporations,
LLCs)
Non-profit organizations (e.g., NGOs, philanthropies)
Colleges or universities

16a.

Who provides or instructs post-academy training on [TOPIC]?

Sworn personnel employed by your agency
Retired law enforcement personnel employed by your
agency
Non-sworn/civilian personnel employed by your agency
Sworn personnel NOT employed by your agency
Retired law enforcement personnel NOT employed by
your agency
Non-sworn/civilian personnel NOT employed by your
agency

17.

Are any of the following methods used in the training of [TOPIC]?
Yes
In-person classroom lecture
In-person group activities
Pre-recorded video, lecture, or presentations

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No

Real-time, distance-based learning (e.g., video
conference or webinar)
Written or interactive web-based distance learning
Scenario-based exercises, live action (e.g., role playing
or simulated events with trainers)
Scenario-based exercises, technology-based
simulations (e.g., virtual reality; FATS)
Roll-call training
18.

How did your agency measure successful completion of the post-academy training on
[TOPIC]?
Yes

No

Knowledge-based test
Skills-based test
Satisfaction or feedback survey
Attendance

19.

Does your agency use any of the following data to gather evidence on the effectiveness
of training on [TOPIC]?

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Data Source
Follow-up surveys with participants (e.g., weeks or
months after training)

Yes

No

Calls for service data
Crime or incident data
Arrest data
Use of force incidents
Civilian complaints
Body-worn camera footage
Officer observations
Community feedback surveys
Other (please specify ________)

20.

How often is training on [TOPIC] repeated for full-time sworn personnel after the initial
training on this topic is provided?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

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Twice or more times per year
Once a year
Once every 2 years
Once every 3 or more years
Ad-hoc (e.g., as needed but no fixed time interval)
Not repeated (e.g., single training with no refresher)

21.

Why is training on [TOPIC] provided to full-time sworn personnel?
Yes
Job task analysis or needs assessment
State- or POST- commission standard or requirement
Subject matter expert input or recommendation
Law enforcement advisory board input or
recommendation
Academy staff input or recommendation
Formal community input or recommendations (e.g.,
advisory board, commission reports)
Informal community needs or request (e.g.,
conversations with the community, general feedback
from community)
State legislative requirement
Local legislative requirement
Internal agency decision by chief executive and
command staff
Consent decree
Judicial ruling
Agency accreditation requirements
Grant requirements
Other (Please specify) ___________________________

[IF TRAINING HAS NOT BEEN OFFERED SINCE 2018]

Page 23 of 47

No

22.

What are the reasons that your agency has not provided training on [TOPIC]?
Yes

No

Already provided in basic academy or field training
No perceived need for the training
Cost of implementing training too high
Lack of qualified trainers
Lack of appropriate facilities or equipment
Lack of budget or financial support
Insufficient staffing/inability to take officers off
assignment
Lack of appropriate course
COVID-related health restrictions, no alternative
training model available
Other (Please specify) ___________________________

23.

How likely are you to consider providing [TOPIC] training in the next 12 months?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

24.

Very likely
Somewhat Likely
Somewhat Unlikely
Very unlikely
Unsure / Don’t know

What factors will determine whether or not you would provide [TOPIC] training in the
next 12 months?

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Yes
Public expectations
Directive from your agency’s Chief executive (chief,
sheriff, director, or agency head)
Guidance or directive from local government
Guidance or directive from state government
Guidance or directive from federal government
Availability of funding
Free or low-cost training
Ability to find appropriate course
Ability to find qualified trainers
Requirement of accreditation
Improved officer availability
Other (Please specify) ___________________________

[CYCLE THROUGH OTHER TRAINING TOPICS]

Page 25 of 47

No

Attachment B: LEMAS Supplement Survey – Response to Police Suicide questionnaire
Current Programs
The first questions ask about formal wellness programs currently available to full-time sworn personnel
within your agency. For this survey, please define a formal wellness program as: a program intended to
reduce factors that interfere with employee physical and/or mental health by providing resources,
training, and/or intervention services.
1. In the calendar year 2022 (that is, January 1 through December 31, 2022), did your agency offer any
of the following formal wellness programs for use by full-time, sworn personnel? If no formal wellness
programs were offered to full-time sworn personnel, please select the applicable Not Offered category
for each program and skip to Question 4.
If managed by agency

Yes, managed
directly within
the agency

Physical fitness
General stress
management
Coping skills to
manage trauma
Psychological
and mental

Page 26 of 47

Yes, through
agency
contract with
external
partner

If either
agency
option is Yes,
since what
year? If more
than one
program,
enter the
origination
date of the
oldest
program that
was still
active in
2022.

If managed by Not offered
government
Yes, managed
by
government

No such
program
available in
2022; don’t
intend to
make
available
within 2023

No such
program
available
in 2022,
but
intend
to make
available
at some
point
within
2023

health care
treatment
Nutrition and
dietary education
Alcohol and
chemical
dependency
treatment
Peer support
programs
Support for
families of sworn
personnel
Financial literacy
education
Fatigue
management
Other ______

1a. IF any YES Q1: What is your agency’s estimated budget dedicated to formal wellness programs in
calendar year 2022? $XXX,XXX,XXX
1b. IF any YES Q1: How many total full-time agency employees work in wellness programs as their
primary responsibility as of December 31, 2022? Please provide separate counts for sworn and nonsworn full-time agency employees. Sworn: ____
Non-Sworn: _____

2. For the formal wellness programs offered in the calendar year 2022, does your agency collect and
regularly assess (i.e., every month, quarter, or year) data on the number of officers served by each
program?
Yes

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No

N/A, program not
offered in 2022 or data
not available to agency

Physical fitness
General stress management
Coping skills to manage trauma
Psychological and mental health
care treatment
Nutrition and dietary education
Alcohol and chemical dependency
treatment
Peer support programs
Support for families of sworn
personnel
Financial literacy education
Fatigue management
Other ______

3. Are any of the formal wellness programs offered in the calendar year 2022 available confidentially?
Yes
Physical fitness
General stress management
Coping skills to manage
trauma
Psychological and mental
health care treatment
Nutrition and dietary
education
Alcohol and chemical
dependency treatment

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No

N/A, program not offered in 2022

Peer support programs
Support for families of sworn
personnel
Financial literacy education
Fatigue management
Other ______

Current Policies and Training
4. Does your agency mandate any of the following policies for full-time sworn personnel?
Yes

No

Regularly scheduled (e.g., annually, quarterly) psychological evaluations
Response protocols after critical incidents that occurred on-duty (e.g.,
officer involved shooting)
Response protocols after critical incidents that occurred off-duty (e.g.,
death in family, divorce)
Officer allowed access to service weapon while off-duty
Temporarily reduced access to service weapon when an officer is
considered at a higher risk of suicide

5. Are any of the following full-time sworn personnel provided training on potential warning signs of
depression and suicide risk?

Yes
Chief executive
Intermediate supervisor (below chief executive and
above sergeant or first-line supervisor)
Sergeant or equivalent first-line supervisor
Deputies/Officers

6. Is suicide awareness training a part of your agency’s curriculum for…

Page 29 of 47

No

N/A

Yes

Academy or field
training?
Post-academy or inservice training?
Exit interviews with
retiring or departing
sworn personnel?

Page 30 of 47

No

Don’t Know

N/A (agency
does not
operate an
academy)

Attachment C: LEMAS Supplement Survey Cognitive Testing Protocol

DATE: ___ ___ / ___ ___ / 2 0 22
M M
D D
START TIME: ___ ___ : ___ ___ AM / PM

Hello, I’m [NAME] with RTI, calling on behalf of the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Thanks for agreeing to help us develop the questionnaires for the 2023 Law Enforcement Management
and Administrative Statistics Supplemental Surveys. This call will take about an hour. If this time still
works for you, I’d like to start with a short summary of the goals for today’s call and explain a bit about
how I’ll conduct the interview.
IF NO LONGER A GOOD TIME, OFFER TO RESCHEDULE
IF STILL GOOD TIME, CONTINUE
The purpose of this conversation is to get your feedback on draft questions for the Law Enforcement
Management and Administrative Statistics, or LEMAS, survey program. The LEMAS program
incorporates use of a core survey and periodic supplemental surveys to address special topics. The core
and supplemental surveys are conducted every 4 years – with the next supplements taking place in 2023
and the next core taking place in 2025.
BJS is interested in exploring two topics through upcoming LEMAS supplemental surveys: a.) postacademy training and b.) officer mental health, well-being, and resources to support officer health. As
we get ready for the supplemental surveys, we’re asking staff from law enforcement agencies to review
the draft questionnaires. During this call, I’ll ask for your reactions to the draft questions – including
things like question wording, clarity of instructions, and information your agency tracks related to the
survey questions.
Please keep in mind that there are no right or wrong answers to my questions. One of our main goals is
to draft questions that make sense, so if anything about the questions is confusing or unclear, you can
help by pointing this out. Also, if you’re not sure how you would respond to any of the questions, please
tell me that, too. Finally, please let me know if you believe any questions or topics were omitted, or any
answer choices or response categories that were missing or insufficient.
I am interested in hearing all your feedback on the survey, but because there is a lot to discuss and we
only have an hour, sometimes I might ask that we move on to the next question before you’ve had a
chance to share everything on your mind. At the end of the interview, you can share any important
feedback that you didn’t have a chance to share earlier. Your participation is completely voluntary and

Page 31 of 47

you do not have to answer any question you do not wish to, but your responses will help improve the
LEMAS supplemental surveys.
Do you have any questions before we begin?
First, do you happen to recall approximately how much time you spent completing the questionnaires?
And please include the time you and any others at your agency spent gathering information needed to
answer the questions.
Post-Academy Training

Response to Police Suicide

Total

__________ HOURS

__________ HOURS

__________ HOURS

__________ MINUTES

__________ MINUTES

__________ MINUTES

I’m planning to discuss only some of the questions on the questionnaires, but if you have comments or
concerns about any of the questions I skip, please feel free to share them with me at any time.

1. The first thing I’d like to discuss is the paragraph at the beginning of the Post-Academy
Characteristics section. Please read the first paragraph, starting at “For purposes of this
survey…”
a. In your own words, what does “post-academy training” mean?

b. Looking at that paragraph and the bullet points that follow, is there anything
confusing or unclear about this section?
IF YES: What do you find unclear?

2. Question 3 asks about the post-academy training budget for the fiscal year.
a. How easy or difficult is it for you to report this number? What makes it
easy/difficult?

b. What training costs are you including when reporting this number?

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i. How easy or difficult is it to exclude academy training costs from this
number? What makes it easy/difficult?

c. Did you include any funding received for training through grants in this number?
If NO: Why not?

3. Now let’s look at Question 4. It asks about the various ways you can provide full-time
sworn personnel with training.
a. The previous question referenced “the fiscal year that included December 31,
2022”, and this question references “the calendar year 2022”. Did you notice
that? Are those time frames different or are they the same? IF DIFFERENT: How
are they different?

b. How easy or difficult was it to answer this question with “Yes” or “No”? What
makes it easy/difficult?

c. IF YES TO 4B OR 4C: How many officers did you send to receive outside training?
IF NECESSARY: If your agency only sent 1 officer to outside training, would you
have reported “Yes” or “No”?

d. For your agency, what does it mean to “provide any post-academy training”?

Page 33 of 47

e. Would it be easier for you to answer this question with the number of full-time
sworn officers who participated, or do you prefer the question the way it is?

4. I’d now like to discuss Question 5. It asks about the minimum number of hours of
training required.
a. How easy or difficult was it for you to answer this question? What made it
easy/difficult?

b. What time period were you thinking about when you answered this question?

c. What other situations where a training might be mandated are not listed here?

5. The next question I’d like to discuss is Question 5a. It asks about how you developed
trainings not mandated by law.
a. In your own words, what is this question asking?

b. How did you decide on your answer for “State legislative requirements” and
“Local legislative requirements”? How did you decide on your answer for
“Consent decree”?

c.

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What time period were you thinking about when answering this question?

d. Was there anything about this question that was confusing or unclear?

6. Ok, let’s look at Question 6. It asks about specific trainings provided following a
promotion or assignment.
a. How did you interpret “N/A” in the context of this question?

b. IF YES OR NO TO CHIEF EXECUTIVE TRAINING: What does “training on the Chief
Executive position” typically entail?

7. Turning to Question 7. It asks whether your agency authorized or provided various
benefits to full-time sworn personnel.
a. How easy or difficult was it to answer this question with “Yes” or “No”? What
makes it easy/difficult?

b. How did you interpret “authorize” as it is used in this question? What does that
mean?

8. I’d now like to look at Question 8. It asks about individuals serving as post-academy
trainers or instructors.
a. This question asks specifically about “trainers or instructors.” Did that lead you
to exclude any other individuals who are paid to facilitate trainings?

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b. What time period were you thinking of when you answered this question?

9. Now let’s look at Question 10.
a. In your own words, what does the term ”certifications” refer to in this question?

b. Are any of the certifications listed unclear or confusing?

c. What additional certifications should be included in this question?

10. Question 12 asks about agencies/organizations your agency may have used for postacademy training.
a. How easy or difficult was it to answer this question with “Yes” or “No”? What
makes it easy/difficult?

b. What additional groups, agencies, or organizations should be included?

c. In your own words, what is a “community group”? IF YES TO NON-PROFITS: If
“community groups” was not included under “Non-profit organizations,” would your
response change to this question?

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11. Let’s turn to the table in Question 14. This table asks about various kinds of content
that could be covered by post-academy trainings.
a. Were the instructions helpful or not helpful? How easy or difficult was it for you
to fill out this table? What made it easy/difficult?

b. How easy or difficult was it for you to get the data needed to answer these
questions? What made it easy/difficult?

c. How did you calculate the number of hours for the most recent training?

d. IF MARKED MORE THAN ONCE PER YEAR:
i. How did you determine that a training is offered more than once per
year?

e. Are there any column headings that are unclear or confusing? Are there any
training subject areas that are unclear or confusing?

f. Are there any training subject areas that are not listed that you think should be
added to this table?

g. When filling out this table, what time period were you thinking of?

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h. How easy or difficult was it to answer in terms of programs offered since 2018?
What made it easy/difficult?

i.

How consistently have these programs been offered (or not offered) since 2018?
How did that affect your ability to fill out this table?

12. I’d now like to look at the table included as part of Question 14a. It mentions possible
specialized content areas that could be covered by post-academy trainings.
a. Thinking about the section in the bottom left, labeled “Agency Technical” -i. Do you think any of these subjects overlap with subjects already listed in the
previous table in Question 14?

ii. Would any of these trainings be provided as part of the trainings listed for
Question 14?

13. Now let’s go to the table for Question 15. This table lists additional training subject

areas that we might ask more information about.
a. Thinking about the training subjects listed in the table —
i. Do you think any of these subjects overlap with subjects already listed in the
previous tables?
1. Were there any stand-alone trainings specifically on these subjects that
you considered when responding to a previous question?

ii. How common is it for stand-alone trainings to be provided on these
specific subjects? (IF COMMON, PLEASE ELABORATE.)

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iii. Are any of the subject areas confusing or unclear? Are any of the column
headings confusing or unclear?

14. Now, let’s look at Question 16. It asks about possible agencies or organizations you may
have collaborated with to provide training. For [ITEMS ANSWERED AS YES], could you
tell me a bit more about that?

15. Overall, when answering these questions about post-academy training, were you thinking about
in-person training, web-based distance learning, or both?

16. Were there any questions or items you would recommend cutting from this survey?

[FOR ANY RESPONSES] Could you tell me why?

17. What other issues did you see with the survey questions that we did not discuss?

END TIME: ___ ___ : ___ ___ AM / PM

[TRANSITION TO THE ORGANIZATIONAL PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND TRAINING TO ADDRESS POLICE
SUICIDE MODULE]

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I would next like to ask about the questionnaire that focuses on resources responding to police suicide.
Would you be able to answer questions related to this section, or would I need to speak with
someone else?
R WILL ANSWER – CONTINUE WITH QUESTION 17
SOMEONE ELSE WILL ANSWER – COLLECT CONTACT INFORMATION, THANK RESPONDENT AND
END CALL.

DATE: ___ ___ / ___ ___ / 2 0 22 [IF SECOND RESPONDENT]
M M
D D
START TIME: ___ ___ : ___ ___ AM / PM
IF SECOND RESPONDENT: RE-READ INTRODUCTION AT BEGINNING OF PROTOCOL. First, do you
happen to recall approximately how much time you spent completing this questionnaire? And please
include the time you and any others at your agency spent gathering information needed to answer the
questions.
__________ HOURS
__________ MINUTES

18. Question 1 in this survey asks about formal wellness programs that your agency might
offer to full-time sworn personnel.
a. Is “wellness program” the best term to use? Does your agency use a different term?

b. In your own words, what does the word “offer” mean to you as it’s used in this
question?

c. If your agency had offered a single training that covered two topics in this table, how
would you respond to this question?

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d. IF MARKED “YES,” MANAGED BY GOVERNMENT: You marked “Yes, managed by
government.” Does the government manage these programs directly, or through
a contract?

e. If your agency offered a temporary wellness program, such as peer support for 3
months after an incident, would you include that here? Would you include it
under one of the programs already listed or should it be listed on its own?

f. Are any of the column headings confusing or unclear?

19. Looking at Question 1A, it asks you to estimate the budget dedicated to formal wellness
programs in calendar year 2022.
a. IF ANSWERED: How easy or difficult was it to answer this question? What makes
it easy/difficult?

b. IF NOT ANSWERED: This question was not answered. Can you tell me more
about why?

20. Looking at Question 1B, it asks about full-time agency employees who work on these
wellness programs.
a. In your own words, what does the phrase “full-time agency employees work in
wellness programs as their primary responsibility” mean?
i. PROBE: Would you include contractors under this definition?

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b. When answering this question, did you include staff who were partially assigned
to work on these wellness programs? Did you include contractors?

21. Let’s look at Question 2. It asks about the data collected and used to assess formal
wellness programs offered.
a. How easy or difficult was it for you to answer this question? What made it
easy/difficult?

b. What time frame were you thinking about when answering this question?

22. Question 3 asks about the confidentiality of your formal wellness programs. What does
“confidentially” mean to you as it’s used in this question?

23. Question 4 asks about policies your organization might mandate related to officer
mental health. Was there anything about this question that was confusing or unclear?

24. IF YES TO ANY ITEM IN QUESTION 6. Let’s look at Question 6. You answered “Yes” to
[ITEM]. Can you tell me more about that?

25. Is there anything else about these questions that you would like to bring up?

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Thank you very much for taking the time to provide feedback. We will combine your comments with
feedback from other participants into an overall report. That report will help BJS evaluate the
questionnaire and determine whether to make any changes.
Is there anything else you would like to talk about today?
Thanks again!
END TIME: ___ ___ : ___ ___ AM / PM

Page 43 of 47

Attachment D: Agency Invite Letter
Good morning/afternoon [TITLE] [NAME],
My name is [NAME] with RTI International. We are working with the U.S. Department of Justice’s
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) to develop a survey on post-academy training and agency resources
related to police suicide. This effort is part of the Law Enforcement Management and Administrative
Statistics (LEMAS) program. BJS has run the LEMAS program since 1987.
I am asking for your agency’s feedback on the current survey draft.
Before sending any survey nationally, we ask for direct feedback from agencies. BJS relies on you to
provide data. We need to ensure all survey questions and instructions are as clear as possible, and
relevant for a wide range of agencies. We cannot produce a high-quality survey or results without help
from law enforcement.
This request is going to a select group of agencies across the country. [AGENCY NAME] was chosen as a
[LOCAL or SHERIFF] with [100+ or <100] full-time equivalent sworn personnel. [WHEN APPLICABLE Additionally, your agency noted an interest in future research and development tasks during the 2020
LEMAS survey response.] We hope that your agency will be able to assist us with this effort.
If you agree to provide feedback, we will:

-

provide a copy of the LEMAS supplemental draft surveys to your agency’s point of
contact;
ask the assigned point of contact to complete the survey;
return a copy of the completed draft to us, and;
schedule a brief phone interview (1-hour maximum) with RTI staff to discuss the survey.

We hope to collect feedback through the next month. Recognizing that your time is limited, our team
will be flexible to accommodate your schedule.
BJS is the best source for nationally-representative, unbiased statistics about law enforcement. Results
can be used for benchmarking to national counts and helping agencies address questions from the
public. Published reports are found on the BJS website, https://bjs.ojp.gov/. However, these data and
reports are only possible with the cooperation with law enforcement agencies.
Thank you for your consideration. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. You can
contact me at [RTI CONTACT email, phone] or Elizabeth Davis, the BJS program manager for LEMAS, at
[email protected] or (202) 305-2667.
Sincerely,

Page 44 of 47

Attachment E: Non-Response Follow-Up Phone Script
[IF CALL IS ANSWERED BY POINT OF CONTACT (POC)]
Good morning/afternoon, [TITLE] [NAME]. My name is [NAME] with RTI International. We are working
with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) to develop a survey on postacademy training and agency resources related to police suicide. We hope to have your agency aid us in
developing this survey. Is now a good time to speak about this matter?
IF NOT A GOOD TIME, OFFER TO CALL BACK AT WHEN POC IS FREE
IF IT IS A GOOD TIME, CONTINUE
This effort to develop a new survey is part of the Law Enforcement Management and Administrative
Statistics (LEMAS) program. BJS has run the LEMAS program since 1987.
I am asking for your agency’s feedback on the current survey draft.
Before sending any survey nationally, we ask for direct feedback from agencies. BJS relies on you to
provide data. We need to ensure all survey questions and instructions are as clear as possible, and
relevant for a wide range of agencies. We cannot produce a high-quality survey or results without help
from law enforcement.
If you agree to provide feedback, we will follow four steps:

-

First, provide a copy of the LEMAS supplemental draft surveys to your agency’s point of
contact;
Second, ask the assigned point of contact to complete the survey;
Third, have the point of contact return a copy of the completed draft to us, and;
Finally, schedule a brief phone interview (1-hour maximum) with RTI staff to discuss the
survey.

We hope to collect feedback through the next month. Recognizing that your time is limited, our team
will be flexible to accommodate your schedule.
Is this something your agency would be able to participate in?
IF YES:
Thank you for your participation. Are you the best point of contact to send the draft surveys
too?
IF YES, CONTINUE
IF NO, OBTAIN POC CONTACT INFORMATION (EMAIL AND PHONE), THEN CONTINUE

Page 45 of 47

Thank you. We will distribute the materials shortly and schedule a phone interview. If you have
any questions about this survey development effort, feel free to contact me at [CONTACT INFO].

IF NO:
Thank you for your consideration. We will take you off the list for further contact, but if you
decide to participate later, please reach out to me at [CONTACT INFO].
Do you have any questions about this survey development effort?
Thank you again for your time today. Goodbye.

[IF CALL IS ANSWERED BY NON-POC OR UNCLEAR IF POC]
Good morning/afternoon. My name is [NAME] with RTI International. We are working with the U.S.
Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) to develop a survey on post-academy training
and agency resources related to police suicide. May I speak to [TITLE] [NAME] about this matter?
ONCE CONNECTED WITH POC, START WITH MAIN SCRIPT
IF SENT TO POC VOICEMAIL:
Good morning/afternoon, [TITLE] [NAME]. My name is [NAME] with RTI International. We are
working with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) to develop a
survey on post-academy training and agency resources related to police suicide. We hope to
have your agency aid us in developing this survey by reviewing and providing feedback on a
draft. Can you contact me so we can discuss potential participation and answer any questions
you may have about this effort? You can reach me at [EMAIL AND PHONE]. Thank you and have
a good day.

Page 46 of 47

Attachment F: Cognitive Interview Packet Cover Letter

Dear [TITLE] [NAME],
Recently, you were asked by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and its data collection agent, RTI
International (RTI), to assist with a special effort related to the Law Enforcement Management and
Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) supplemental survey. The proposed topics for this LEMAS supplement
are post-academy training and organizational resources to address police suicide. The upcoming 2023
LEMAS supplement will include a sample of approximately 3,500 local and county law enforcement
agencies (LEAs) nationwide.
As part of this effort, we are asking a small number of LEAs to complete the attached surveys and
provide feedback. As you are completing the survey, please take note of any of the following:
•
•
•

Instructions, terms, or questions that are vague or insufficiently defined;
Answer choices that are unclear, confusing, or insufficient; and
How you arrived at your response.

I would also appreciate if you could record how long it takes you to complete the supplement. As
arranged previously, I will call you at [TIME] on [DAY], [DATE] to discuss your responses and experience
answering the questions. If possible, please submit your survey 1 week before the call—this will allow
for a more efficient discussion. Once completed, you can return your questionnaire to me by email.
If you have any questions about this special request, please contact me at [PHONE] or [EMAIL]. If you
have any general comments about the LEMAS, please contact Elizabeth Davis, the LEMAS Program
Manager at BJS, at [email protected].

Sincerely,

[INTERVIEWER NAME], [DEGREE]
[JOB TITLE]
RTI International

Page 47 of 47

Attachment G: RTI LECS IRB Determination

NOT HUMAN RESEARCH DETERMINATION
February 6, 2020
Travis Taniguchi
919-248-8501, x28501
[email protected]
Dear Travis Taniguchi:
On 2/5/2020, the IRB reviewed the following protocol:
Type of Review:
Title:
Investigator:
IRB ID:
Funding Source:
Customer/Client Name:
Project/Proposal Number:
IND, IDE, or HDE:

Initial Study
Law Enforcement Core Statistics (LECS) 2020
Travis Taniguchi
STUDY00020974
Dept of Justice BJS
Dept of Justice BJS
0217162.000
None

The IRB determined that the proposed activity is not research involving human subjects
as defined by 28 CFR 46.
Although RTI IRB oversight of this activity is not required, this determination applies
only to the activities described in the IRB submission and may not apply should any
changes be made. If the nature or scope of the activity changes and there are questions
about whether the revised activities constitute human subjects research, you should
contact the IRB to discuss whether a new submission and determination is necessary.
Sincerely,
The RTI Office of Research Protection