Technology to Fight Crime
OJP funds development of new technology to help ensure public safety, and help state and local communities better use existing technology. Technology helps to improve public safety in several ways. For example, enhanced criminal records and identification systems keep high-risk individuals 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-lethal weapons mitigate risk to law enforcement officers. DNA technology advances justice by solving crimes and protecting the innocent. And crime mapping allows law enforcement to target crime "hot spots." OJP also has launched an initiative to develop information-sharing capacity across 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
- National Criminal History Improvement Program
- Paul Coverdell Forensics Sciences Improvement Grant Program
- President's DNA Initiative
Resources
- DNA.gov
- Information Technology Initiatives
- NamUs – National Missing and Unidentified Persons System
- National Information Exchange Model
- Regional Information Sharing Systems
