FY 2023 Law Enforcement Core Statistics (LECS) Program | O BJS 2023 171706

Opportunity Information: Apply for O BJS 2023 171706

The FY 2023 Law Enforcement Core Statistics (LECS) Program is a Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) funding opportunity under the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (OJP), designed to support the continued collection and production of nationwide data on law enforcement agencies. The goal is to keep a current, reliable statistical picture of how law enforcement agencies are organized and how they operate across the United States, while aligning with OJP priorities that emphasize civil rights and racial equity, greater access to justice, support for crime victims and justice-involved individuals, stronger community safety, protection from evolving threats, and improving trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

At its core, the program funds an organization to administer and update BJS's core law enforcement statistical collections. The LECS effort centers on gathering standardized information about the organizational characteristics of law enforcement agencies, producing accurate and timely national statistics on key topics such as staffing and personnel, agency operations, and the policies and procedures that guide day-to-day work. The scope is broad and is meant to cover law enforcement at multiple levels of government, including federal, state, county, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies.

The LECS program specifically includes two major BJS data collections that form the backbone of national law enforcement statistics. One is the Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) survey, which has historically been used to measure a wide range of agency management and operational features. The other is the Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies (CSLLEA), which is intended to provide a comprehensive enumeration of state and local law enforcement agencies and their basic characteristics. Together, these collections help BJS and the broader public safety community understand nationwide patterns in law enforcement structure, resources, and practices, and they also provide baseline measures that can be used over time to track change.

This opportunity is offered as a discretionary award and will be made through a cooperative agreement, meaning the award recipient should expect substantial involvement from BJS in carrying out the work. The activity category is Information and Statistics (CFDA 16.734), reflecting that the deliverable is a statistical program and public-facing data rather than direct service or enforcement activity. BJS anticipated making a single award, with a maximum award amount (ceiling) of $5,000,000.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of applicants that have the capacity to manage a large-scale national statistical collection. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education (including state-controlled institutions); federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; individuals; for-profit organizations (including entities other than small businesses); and small businesses. The solicitation was posted April 12, 2023, with an original application deadline of June 12, 2023, under funding opportunity number O-BJS-2023-171706.

In practical terms, this grant is aimed at supporting the full cycle of a national survey and census program for law enforcement agencies: maintaining and updating the underlying agency universe, collecting standardized information across thousands of agencies, ensuring data quality and consistency, and producing national-level statistics that policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and communities can use. The emphasis on timeliness and accuracy signals that the recipient is expected to have strong survey operations, statistical expertise, and the ability to work with a wide variety of law enforcement agencies, including tribal agencies, to ensure broad coverage and reliable national estimates.

• The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics in the information and statistics sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2023 Law Enforcement Core Statistics (LECS) Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.734.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 12, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 12, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $5,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Individuals, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for O BJS 2023 171706

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