Sleipnir: a threat measurement technique

Sleipnir: a threat measurement technique developed by the RCMP is a technique you may want to use in or adapt for your own work.

Learning to think like a thief to catch a thief

Learning to think like a thief to catch a thief is a great article highlighting the value of crime analysts.

The End of a Year

The last day of the year is tomorrow and this is the 400th post on this blog. Happy New Year!

I started the blog in January 2008 with the goal of helping you: the working analyst, the change agent toiling in the field, and the student seeking more information. I thank those of you who have encouraged me to continue this work when I wanted to give up. I will continue to post to the blog in 2009.

May your 2009 be filled with the opportunity to make a difference in this world.

Intelligence Theory Key Questions and Debates

A new resource:

Intelligence Theory
Key Questions and Debates
Edited by Peter Gill, Stephen Marrin, Mark Phythian

"This edited volume brings together a range of essays by individuals who are centrally involved in the debate about the role and utility of theory in intelligence studies."

Richmond, Virginia, Police Department Helps Lower Crime Rates with Crime Prediction Software

Richmond, Virginia, Police Department Helps Lower Crime Rates with Crime Prediction Software is an interesting article focused on crime analysis and prediction published this month in Government Technology.

Merry Christmas from Bailey the Unknown Reindeer

This dog moves through the snow like analysts move through data!!!!

Happy Holidays!

Web site can shed light on crime in your area

Web site can shed light on crime in your area is an interesting article in that it features the fact that Colorado Springs maps every call-for-service and lets the public view this data. That is a rare policy move... The data doesn't give the exact street information but it allows citizens to see the calls on their blocks.

Wikipedia new weapon in RCMP arsenal?

Wikipedia new weapon in RCMP arsenal?

Modernization meets law enforcement...Will they marry? This is a step toward that union.

A Path to Counterterrorism Doctrine: Countering Terrorism with Knowledge

A Path to Counterterrorism Doctrine: Countering Terrorism with Knowledge is a a quick-read publication with the premise of "getting back to the basics" of intelligence led policing. It is authored by the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism's Deputy Director, David Cid.

Remarks by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff at the 2008 End of the Year Address

Remarks by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff at the 2008 End of the Year Address Release Date: December 18, 2008, Washington, D.C.,Georgetown University

Quote of the Week

"The prediction of crime risk, although interesting, will remain without impact unless those designing and manufacturing products have some incentive to consider the crime and disorder implications of their actions." Rachel Armitage and Ken Pease in Predicting and Preventing the Theft of Electronic Products

Financial Time Bombs

Financial Time Bombs is an op-ed by Charles Duelfer and Jim Rickards in today's New York Times. It asserts that national security intelligence analysis should focus on threats to the economy in light of our most recent catastrophes. Perhaps this concept will have national security leaders looking to law enforcement models of economic crime intelligence analysis...???

Fact Sheet: DHS End-of-Year Accomplishments

Fact Sheet: DHS End-of-Year Accomplishments
Release Date: December 18, 2008

Quote of the Week

"There are two main components with regard to the ability of an intelligence system to influence decision-makers. First, it is important that the intelligence units are able to actually identify the influential decision-makers in the criminal justice system. Secondly, it is useful to examine the relationship between decision-makers and their intelligence staff."

Jerry Ratcliffe in The Effectiveness of Police Intelligence Management: A New Zealand Case Study

Mapping the Rats in New York City

Mapping the Rats in New York City is a Time article that puts a new twist on crime mapping. :-)

Serving and protecting on a tight budget - JOLIET POLICE

Serving and protecting on a tight budget is an article that highlights the value of an analyst in these budget crisis times.

The Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism

"The Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT) is a terrorism prevention training center for police officers, investigators, intelligence analysts and first responders offering the largest open source collection of documents on counterterrorism."

I am here at the MIPT conducting Advanced Criminal Intelligence Analysis to Prevent Terrorism training with the NW3C. The MIPT site is located exactly next to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing site. It is very poignant to view the memorial site outside the fifth story window of this building and even more so considering the subject of the training.

The MIPT has an extensive library on site and many resources online. Check it out.

Report: WORLD AT RISK

WORLD AT RISK
The Report of the Commission on the Prevention of WMD Proliferation and Terrorism

From this December 2008 report submitted to Congress:

"The Commission believes that unless the world community acts decisively
and with great urgency, it is more likely than not that a weapon of
mass destruction will be used in a terrorist attack somewhere in the
world by the end of 2013."