OJP funds development of new technology to help ensure public safety, as well as helping state and local communities better use existing technology. Technology helps improve public safety in several ways: enhanced criminal records and identification systems keep dangerous offenders from obtaining weapons or positions of trust, closed-circuit television allows young victims or witnesses of crime to testify in a less-intimidating setting, bulletproof vests and less-than-lethal weapons mitigate risk to law enforcement officers, and crime mapping allows law enforcement to target crime "hot spots." OJP has also launched an initiative to develop information-sharing capacity across all parts of the criminal justice system. The OJP Information Technology Executive Council coordinates funding and technical assistance to ensure that technology is deployed in a manner that allows information-sharing across agencies.

Funding Opportunities

• The primary vehicle through which OJP funds technology development is the Crime Identification Technology Act (CITA). CITA provides assistance for virtually every technology-based, criminal justice information, identification, and communications need. CITA funds also may be used to support state and local-level participation in national databases managed by the FBI, such as the National Instant Check System (NICS), Combined DNA Information System (CODIS), and the Interstate Identification Index (III) system. States, in conjunction with local governments, may use funds awarded under CITA to improve or expand criminal justice technology efforts in 17 specified areas. For more information on CITA funding, visit www.ojp.usdoj.gov/cita.
• As part of CITA, BJS' National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) ensures that accurate records are available for use in law enforcement and that criminal justice records are shared across jurisdictions. NCHIP funding also supports the Firearms Inquiry Statistics (FIST) and the National Sex Offender Registry Assistance Program (NSOR-AP). For more information, contact the BJS Clearinghouse at 1-800/688-4252 or visit the BJS Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJS.
• BJS provides funding to states to participate in the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), the FBI's new approach to uniform crime reporting. NIBRS moves beyond aggregate statistics and raw counts of crimes and arrests that comprise the summary Uniform Crime Reports program to individual records for each reported crime incident and its associated arrest. NIBRS looks at detailed offense, offender, victim, property, and arrest data. More information on NIBRS is available at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/nibrs.htm.
• NIJ's DNA Identification/Crime Laboratory Improvement Program provides funding to improve the analytic and technological resources of forensic labs servicing all 50 states. Funding under this initiative increases forensic laboratory access to specialized forensic services; strengthens the network of cross-jurisdictional learning among local, state, and regional labs; and establishes priorities for the intelligent allocation of scarce, yet high priority, forensic capabilities to critical investigations through a national conference with forensic experts. NIJ also administers funding to reduce the backlog of unprocessed DNA samples from convicted offenders.
• NIJ's Safe Schools Technology Initiative encourages technology developers to work with schools, school administrators, and the law enforcement agencies that serve schools to propose new or improved safety technologies that have promise for wide implementation. Examples of technologies supported under this initiative include crisis simulation and training tools, communication and information technologies, officer protection and crime prevention, less-than-lethal technologies, concealed weapons technologies, graphical information systems, and crime mapping.

Training and Technical Assistance

• The National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center provides information on technology and technical assistance to criminal justice professionals. The NLECTC system includes a national center in Rockville, Maryland and four regional centers, as well as four special offices on standards, technology commercialization, borders, and forensic science. More information on NLECTC is available at www.nlectc.org or by calling 1-800/248-2742.
• Information on crime mapping and geographic information systems is available through the Mapping and Analysis for Public Safety (MAPS) located within the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). MAPS supports the research, development, and evaluation of crime mapping technologies for criminal justice research and practice. MAPS also supports free training in crime mapping for law enforcement personnel. Technical assistance for state and local law enforcement and corrections agencies is available through the Mapping and Analysis for Public Safety, which can be reached at 1-800/416-8086. More information on crime mapping is available through MAPS's Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/maps/, or by calling 202/514-3431.
• Through its grantee SEARCH, BJA funds assistance and training to help state and local agencies develop systems that permit sharing of relevant information among police, courts, prosecutors, and corrections. Information on SEARCH's information systems resources is available at www.search.org.

• NIJ sponsors the Advanced Generation of Interoperability for Law Enforcement (AGILE) program to address a broad range of interoperability issues across jurisdictional and regional boundaries. The AGILE program includes communications technology development, evaluation, development of open architecture standards, and an education campaign.

Additional Information

The National Criminal Justice Reference Service serves as OJP's clearinghouse for information and publications on criminal and juvenile justice related topics, including law enforcement and public safety. By calling NCJRS toll-free at 1-800/688-4252, you can speak with an information specialist who can conduct individualized research and provide you with copies of OJP publications. NCJRS also has a homepage on the World Wide Web at www.ncjrs.org. The site contains the full text of most OJP publications in a searchable format, as well as links to other relevant sites.

For more information, call OJP's Office of Congressional and Public Affairs at 202/307-0703 or the Department of Justice Response Center at 1-800/421-6770.

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