National Law Enforcement Technology Center: The "One-Stop Shop" for Law Enforcement Information

This article from the April 1995 issue of Technology Beat discusses the work of the National Law Enforcement Technology Center (NLETC). The NLETC was created in 1994 by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) as a means for providing information to law enforcement agencies on new equipment and technologies available to Federal, State, and local agencies. The article describes the work of the NLETC and its essential elements: assessment of generic law enforcement product and technology needs; technology alliances, coordination, and transfer; technology research and development support; technology assessment and evaluation; technology awareness through demonstrations; product information; and standards and testing. Information is also provided on the regional centers of the NLETC, each of which will provide support in different unique technology areas. The regional centers are located in Charleston, SC; Denver, CO; El Segundo, CA; Rome, NY; San Diego, CA; and Wheeling, WV. The NLETC also has special panels and councils that will assist the center in identifying the realistic needs of law enforcement. The special panels include LETAC, consisting of local, State, and Federal law enforcement officials; a national policy panel consisting of high-ranking judges, lawyers, and former military and law enforcement personnel; the Less-Than-Lethal Liability Panel, consisting of legal experts from various segments of the criminal justice system that will review each technology proposal for its liability implications; and the Community Acceptance Panel, consisting of members from various community action and policy organizations that will ensure that technologies approved by NLETC are acceptable to the community.