A National Strategy to Combat Identity Theft

The COPS Office funded Johns Hopkins University and the Major Cities Chiefs Association to examine the issues surrounding identity theft and the challenges for police in responding to the problem. They explored these issues through a series of focus groups and surveys of police practitioners, prosecutors, victims and victims’ advocates, and the federal and private sectors. Using what they learned, they developed a national strategy for law enforcement. This report describes the components of the national strategy and their interrelationships, and includes best practices or innovative responses that help to illustrate each component.