Frequently Asked Questions

The Compstat process revolves around periodic meetings in which senior police officials and area commanders discuss crime trends and what police strategies and tactics are being used to address crime and other quality of life problems in particular localities. Further information about Compstat can be found in the following resources:

• Compstat: Its Origins, Evolution, and Future in Law Enforcement Agencies, Bureau of Justice Assistance-sponsored
• Reducing Crime Through Intelligence-Led Policing, Bureau of Justice Assistance
• Compstat Implementation, Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Compstat Process, Federal Bureau of Investigation

Additionally, Chapter 1 of the report, Information Systems Technology Enhancement Project: ISTEP II Case Studies from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services provides further information.

Information about the effectiveness of law enforcement programs which utilize Compstat can be found on the CrimeSolutions website. Once on the site, conduct a search for the term "Compstat". The CrimeSolutions site uses rigorous research to inform practitioners and policy makers about what works in criminal justice, juvenile justice, and crime victim services and includes multiple program evaluations for policing initiatives which utilize Compstat.

To learn more, conduct a search of our National Criminal Justice Reference Service Abstracts Database using "Compstat" as your subject keyword.

You can locate information about the collection of DNA to assist in the identification of missing persons on the DNA Analysis and CODIS Searching section of the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) website.

For additional information, contact NamUs.

Dr. Alexis R. Piquero is the Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).

The Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance is Karhlton F. Moore.

Less-lethal technology devices serve to minimize the risk of death and injury to public safety officers, suspects, detainees, and the public. Information about less-lethal technologies can be found on the Less-Lethal Technologies section of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) website. This page captures information about the topic and provides links to NIJ resources and reports concerning these technologies.

Also see the Less Lethal Technologies section of our website for additional resources.

A study of deaths from the use of oleoresin capsicum ("pepper spray") was conducted with grant money supplied by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). The publication, Deaths in Police Confrontations When Oleoresin Capsicum is Used, discusses fatal incidents in which law enforcement officers use oleoresin capsicum to control a subject. Additionally, The Effectiveness and Safety of Pepper Spray, another resource from NIJ, presents the findings from two NIJ-funded studies testing the safety and effectiveness of pepper spray.

Information on the use of DNA to exonerate inmates postconviction can be found on the Wrongful Convictions and the Exonerations Resulting from NIJ Postconviction DNA Testing Funding sections of the National Institute of Justice website.

Through grant funding, the Office of Justice Programs has provided millions of dollars to state and local forensic science laboratories to increase casework capacity, reduce backlogs, and improve quality. For example, grants obtained through the Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence program can be used to help defray the costs associated with postconviction DNA testing for violent felony offenses in which actual innocence might be demonstrated.

Information on the differences between the juvenile justice system and the criminal justice system can be found in the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) publication, "Juvenile Justice: A Century of Change". To see how the juvenile court system processes a typical delinquency case, view the Case Flow chart from OJJDP's Statistical Briefing Book website.

You can view information about National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Standards on the Equipment Standards and Conformity Assessment section of the NIJ website. Using this site, you can find active NIJ standards, inactive standards, and additional information.

The Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative serves as a Federal Advisory Committee (FAC) and advises the U.S. Attorney General on justice information sharing and integration initiatives. It represents more than thirty independent organizations spanning the spectrum of law enforcement, judicial, correctional, and related bodies. For further information, visit the Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative website.