Users of the data should be aware that:

The COAD survey is issued on an ongoing basis and responses for individual agencies may span different years.
Information is self-reported by each oversight agency and is current as of the date specified in the “date” column. Changes to an agency’s information that have occurred after an agency has submitted their survey response may not be reflected. This is most likely to apply to budget, staffing, and population information. Users are encouraged to contact the oversight agency to update these figures if necessary

NACOLE has reviewed each oversight agency’s responses for potential errors and has made appropriate corrections, but cannot guarantee the accuracy of all data points given the fluid nature of the survey.

When requesting the COAD data, you agree to:
- Analyze and interpret the data with honesty, integrity, and sound data analysis methodologies;
- Appropriately cite NACOLE when using the data for any reason. To learn more about citing data, please see the International Association for Social Science Information Services & Technology’s Quick Guide to Data Citation

The following citations are recommended for those using The Chicago Manual of Style:
Footnote: National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement, Civilian Oversight Agency Database (May 2020), distributed by National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement, http://directory.nacole.org.

Bibliographic entry: National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement. Civilian Oversight Agency Database. May 2020. Distributed by National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement. http://directory.nacole.org