This document provides links to various resources for obtaining information on law enforcement, courts, corrections, and criminal records: - It lists websites that contain FBI crime reports, campus crime statistics, inmate databases for state corrections departments, the federal prison inmate locator, criminal record checks, and the national sex offender registry. - Additional resources listed include a state law enforcement standards agency, a site for criminal searches, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, and legal document databases like PACER and RECAP. - Suggested documents to request include salary/overtime data, police recruiting stats, 911 calls, emergency response times, warrants, autopsies, pre-sentencing reports, and police internal affairs records.

1. DIGGING UP INFORMATION ON THE COPS/COURTS BEAT
FBI Uniform Crime Reports:
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/ucr
Campus Crime:
http://ope.ed.gov/security/
Department of Corrections inmate databases:
http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/offender_information.htm
Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator:
http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/LocateInmate.jsp
Criminal Record Checks:
https://records.txdps.state.tx.us/DpsWebsite/index.aspx
National Sex Offender Registry:
http://www.nsopw.gov/Core/Portal.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education
http://www.tcleose.state.tx.us/
(Close Up)
Criminal Searches:
http://www.criminalsearches.com/
U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics:
http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/
PACER: http://pacer.psc.uscourts/gov/
RECAP: https://www.recapthelaw.org/

2. DOCUMENTS AND DATA
Salary/Overtime
Check stats on recruiting class
911 tapes and response data
Ambulance/paramedic and Fire response times
Search warrants
Autopsy reports
Pre-Sentencing Investigations
Probable Cause Affidavits (from first appearances)
Police Internal Affairs, Use of Force statistics, Complaints
Request a current list of sworn officers, with whatever identifying information you can
get (including DOB). Check to see how many officers have convictions, including
misdemeanors. DWI? Domestic violence?
STORY IDEAS
Crime Stats
Clearance Rates
Response Times
Conviction Rates
Are domestic violence cases increasing in your community?
Has the state Attorney General filed any consumer protection lawsuits against companies
in your county or region?