Supporting Statement A Template _LE_geo

Supporting Statement for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions

New Collection

Law Enforcement use of Geophysical Methods

OMB Control # 1110-xxxx

Part A. Justification

1. Necessity of Information:

This questionnaire will gather information on law enforcement use of geophysical methods, such as ground penetrating radar (GPR), electrical resistivity, and magnetometry to detect concealed targets as part of a criminal investigation (for example: homicide graves, drugs, or weapons). This questionnaire will ask which geophysical methods were used, the suspected targets, survey environment, information on the geophysical service providers and summaries of one to three geophysical survey conducted.

The participants will be solicited through law enforcement associations such as the FBI National Academy Associates. The questionnaire will be administered through FBI.gov. Participants are not required to provide identifying information or their affiliation. If the participant chooses to provide this information, it will only be used to for potential follow up questions and to account for multiple reports from participants from the same law enforcement organization. All identifying information and institutional affiliations will be restricted to the study’s leaders. There are no apparent legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection.

2. Needs and Uses:

The FBI Laboratory Division will have the questionnaire available on FBI.gov for active and/or retired personnel in federal, state, local or tribal law enforcement. The compiled results in this study which will be used to understand recommend the applications of geophysical methods by law enforcement in search of concealed targets. Results may be published in a scientific journal and/or law enforcement journal but anonymity of participants will be preserved.

3. Use of Technology:

This questionnaire will be deployed using the FBI.gov website.

4. Efforts to Identify Duplication:

We are unaware of any similar questionnaires on this topic.

5. Methods to Minimize Burden on Small Businesses:

Not Applicable

6. Consequences of Less Frequent Collection:

Applications of the result of this questionnaire could make use of geophysics for law enforcement missions more effective; not conducting this questionnaire could increase costs to law enforcement due to inefficiency.

7. Special Circumstances Influencing Collection:

None of these circumstances apply to this questionnaire.

8. Public Comments and Consultations:

This questionnaire has not been published for public comment.

9. Payment of Gift to Claimants:

There are no gifts or payments to respondents.

10. Assurance of Confidentiality:

Disclosure of contact information of participants is entirely voluntary.

11. Justification for Sensitive Questions:

None of the questions within the questionnaire are sensitive in nature as described above.

12. Estimate of Hour Burden:

Number of respondents -100

Frequency of response - 1

Total annual responses - 1

Minutes per response – 10-15 minutes

Annual hour burden – 25 hours

13. Estimate of Cost Burden:

Respondents will not incur any costs other than their time to respond. Respondents will not incur any capital, start up, or system maintenance costs associated with this information collection.

14. Estimated Annualized Costs to Federal Government:

Total Annualized capital/startup costs	Startup cost component	$0
Total operation and maintenance and purchase of service component	Creating & maintaining the website, collection, and analysis of responses	$4,000
Total cost	-	$4,000

15. Reasons for Change in Burden:

This is a new ICR request with no previous burden.

16. Plans for Publication:

If there are sufficient respondents to this questionnaire, then results may be published for a law enforcement audience and scientist audience. Estimated publication would be 2 years from questionnaire distribution date.

17. Expiration Date Approval:

Not applicable.

18. Exceptions to the Certification Statement:

There are no exceptions to the certification statement.

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