Technology to Fight Crime
OJP funds development, evaluation, and testing of 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
Visit the following sites to learn about technology-related funding opportunities from OJP bureaus and other Federal sources:
See the OJP Open Solicitations page to learn more about opportunities and to access archived solicitations.
Publications and Resources
Access related publications and resources from OJP and its bureaus by visiting:
- Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA): Publications
- National Institute of Justice (NIJ): Standards & Testing
- National Institute of Justice (NIJ): Technology & Tools
For additional resources, visit the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) site:
- Corrections: Equipment and Technology
- Justice Systems: Science and Technology
- Law Enforcement: Equipment and Facilities
- Search the NCJRS Abstracts Database
Programs/Initiatives
- Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program
- National Institute of Justice (NIJ): Types of Technology and Tools
- National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC)
Also see the Technology and Forensics page on OJP’s CrimeSolutions.gov for ratings of related programs.