Frequently Asked Questions

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 at 833-872-5176 or via email.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) collects data on drug offense arrests from State and local law enforcement agencies. These numbers can be found in the FBI report, Crime in the United States.

Juvenile arrest statistics are available in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) report, Crime in the United States and in the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)/National Institute of Justice bulletin, Juvenile Arrests 2018.

Also see the Law Enforcement and Juvenile Crime and the Juvenile Arrest Rates sections of the OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book (SBB).

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.

Questions regarding the Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership can be directed to 877-758-3787 or [email protected].

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.

Information about drug use among arrestees can be found on the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) Programs section of the National Institute of Justice website.

Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA), an annual publication from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) provides data on officers feloniously or accidentally killed and officers that were assaulted while performing their duties. See the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports Publications page for access to LEOKA and other FBI reports.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance's Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program (PSOB) provides death and education benefits to survivors of fallen law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other first responders, as well as disability benefits to officers catastrophically injured in the line of duty.

Additional information regarding this program can be found on the PSOB website. If you have additional questions about the PSOB Program, contact the PSOB Office directly at [email protected] or 1-888-744-6513.