Live Response Video on Advanced Criminal Intelligence Analysis to Prevent Terrorism Course

Live Response Video on Advanced Criminal Intelligence Analysis to Prevent Terrorism Course offered by the National White Collar Crime Center. I teach this course sometimes and think the video is worth watching, especially for educators and trainers, and those looking for more advanced analytical training.

"The National Terrorism Preparedness Institute (NTPI) at St. Petersburg College (SPC) presents Live Response. Live Response is a 60-minute interactive satellite television broadcast that features a dynamic panel discussion of experts who share their knowledge and experiences about terrorism awareness, prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery."

I like this innovative use of video and expect that we will see more in the future - more online video training, conferencing, and sharing.

Let's Put Bylines on Our 'National' Intelligence Estimates

Let's Put Bylines on Our 'National' Intelligence Estimates is an interesting editorial from the March 28 Wall Street Journal. It raises the question of accountability for analysts.

Cleveland Police Department hires computer analyst to study, predict crime

Cleveland Police Department hires computer analyst to study, predict crime This article describes how Cleveland is hiring a crime analysts, but they call him a computer analyst!

Strategic Thinking: A Discussion Paper

Strategic Thinking: A Discussion Paper is a resource for those of you who want to explore becoming better strategic thinkers and analysts.

Lost for Words: The Intelligence Community’s Struggle to Find its Voice

Lost for Words: The Intelligence Community’s Struggle to Find its Voice by Josh Kerbel, published in 2008, is an excellent essay. While it addresses analysis in the Intelligence Community, rather than law enforcement, I believe its central theme also applies to crime and intelligence analysis in policing:

"...it is clearly necessary for the analytic community to find a new conceptual model, one that raises the level by which both artistic and scientific approaches are applied while simultaneously blending them into a sort of complementary “alloy.” Ideally, this new model would integrate art and science and yet forsake high art and hard science pretensions."

Online Education in Crime and Intelligence Analysis

Join me, Deborah Osborne, and David Jimenez as we discuss online education in Crime and Intelligence Analysis. David Jimenez is currently the Director of Training, Education, and Career Development for the International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts. He is also an online Faculty Instructor with the American Military University, where he instructs courses on intelligence, criminal intelligence, and law enforcement intelligence applications. He is the owner/moderator for his website, www.intelligenceisthefuture.com

New link to show: https://www.leapodcasts.com/p/analysts-corner-podcast/

The Violence Prevention Program (VPP)

The Violence Prevention Program (VPP)

"The mission of the VPP is to prevent violent personal injury among Baltimore City’s most at-risk populations through research into the root causes of violence and to develop evidence-based programs targeting the root causes of violence."

This is a very interesting approach to reducing urban violence.

The MO Project - Lesson Six

This post is a continuation of the once a week Friday Analysts' Corner post to explain, for working crime analysts, how to keep track of pattern data in their own files using MS Excel.

The MS Excel Workbook at this link provides w you with some ideas for tracking sex offense and sex offenders.Don't forget to track incidents that are possible precursors to a sex crime, such as peeping tom behavior.

Here are some resources for thinking about patterns of sex offenses and sex offender behavior (don't believe everything you read!):
Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP)
VIOLENT CRIME SCENE ANALYSIS:MODUS OEPRANDI, SIGNATURE, AND STAGING
THE CRIMINAL SEXUAL SADIST
Violent Crime Linkage System (ViCLAS)
Analysis of the Spacial Behaviour of Serial Sex Offenders

Film Piracy, Organized Crime, and Terrorism

Organized Crime Is Increasingly Active in Film Piracy; Three Cases Link Terrorists to Piracy Profits - read the RAND report Film Piracy, Organized Crime, and Terrorism (download .pdf for free).

Center for Intelligence and Security Studies

The Center for Intelligence and Security Studies has a blog at this link.

From the CISS website:

"About CISS

Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, U.S. intelligence agencies sought ways to improve the critical task of analysis.

As part of this effort, The University of Mississippi School of Applied Sciences created the Center for Intelligence and Security Studies (CISS). CISS trains students for careers in intelligence analysis and provides educational and scholarly resources to the national Intelligence Community (IC).

CISS Director

Dr. Carl Jensen serves as Director of the Center for Intelligence and Security Studies. For over twenty years, he worked as a special agent for the FBI before joining the faculty of the School of Applied Sciences Department of Legal Studies. Additionally, Dr. Jensen works as a Behavioral Scientist and Policy Analyst for RAND Corporation. His articles have appeared in numerous academic and professional publications.

CISS Objectives

* Educate and prepare students for entry-level positions in the Intelligence Community.

* Develop relevant research programs by identifying funding sources, by encourage and assist UM faculty and others in carrying out this research, and disseminate findings to the IC through traditional and innovative channels (e.g., online journal, research wiki, conferences, speakers' bureau).

* Conduct outreach efforts by sponsoring a consortium of organizations with an interest in analytical matters and national security (e.g., academic institutions, Intelligence Community training academies)."

APPLICATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM’S NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE MODEL TO UNITED STATES LAW ENFORCEMENT

APPLICATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM’S NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE MODEL TO UNITED STATES LAW ENFORCEMENT by Lisa D. Crescenzo

This Master's thesis explores important issues and is highly relevant to the development of crime and intelligence analysis in policing. Ms. Crescenzo ends the thesis with this quote:

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." - George Bernard Shaw

(And, I add, unreasonable women!)

The MO Project - Lesson Five

This post is a continuation of the once a week Friday Analysts' Corner post to explain, for working crime analysts, how to keep track of pattern data in their own files using MS Excel.

The Center for Problem Oriented Policing has produced fifty-four Problem Specific Guides.

Use these guides to help you decide what things you should track. Local level law enforcement analysts should track the crime listed next from the list of fifty-four because you will better be able to find important patterns and series and review the guides linked to the types of crime:
Robbery of Convenience Stores
Robbery of Taxi Drivers
Robbery at Automated Teller Machines
Theft In and From Cars on Residential Streets and Driveways
Thefts of and From Cars in Parking Facilities
Burglary of Retail Establishments
Burglary of Single-Family Houses
Burglary at Single-Family House Construction Sites
The Problem of Bank Robbery

You should track all shooting incidents, including Drive-by Shootings.

All sex offenses should be tracked, including Acquaintance Rape of College Students.

Next week's lesson will focus on tracking sex offenses.

Sheriff's program fights crime before it happens

Sheriff's program fights crime before it happens
"Officers figure out the why and then change the how"
Since the JSO is one of my favorite crime analysis units, of course I think you should read this!

National Terror Alert Response Center

National Terror Alert Response Center

"NationalTerrorAlert.com is a private homeland security blog and not affiliated with any government agency. We archive and comment on homeland security related news items from a variety of news sources, as well as provide immediate updates on breaking stories, bulletins and any change in status to Homeland Security advisory."

DHS exec's resignation raises red flags on NSA's cybersecurity role

DHS exec's resignation raises red flags on NSA's cybersecurity role

Missouri report on militias, terrorists draws criticism

Missouri report on militias, terrorists draws criticism is an article the emphasizes the importance of being able to articulate and explain why we collect certain information.

Gang Activity in the Army

A View of Gang Activity Affecting the Army
This report, submitted as a class resource by one of my students, is from 2006,but it is of interest.

Police departments keeping public informed on Twitter

Police departments keeping public informed on Twitter... How could we harness this technology to provide better analysis and information sharing?

The MO Project - Lesson Four

This post is a continuation of the once a week Friday Analysts' Corner post to explain, for working crime analysts, how to keep track of pattern data in their own files using MS Excel. One factor to consider when looking for crime patterns is risk of victimization.

School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University
Crime Prevention Service for Business

In a list of the riskiest jobs, there are certain crimes against workers that are more like manifest in patterns and series than others. You should track crimes targeting taxi drivers, gas station attendants, convenience store clerks, and liquor store clerks. While there are other jobs on the list, the types of crimes are less likely to result in crime series (in this case, same offenders attacking same sort of victim(s) in a series of crimes).

"The following factors increase a worker's risk for workplace violence:

1. Contact with the public
2. Delivery of passengers, goods, or services
3. Having a mobile workplace such as a taxicab or police cruiser
4. Working with unstable persons in health care, social services, or criminal justice settings
5. Working alone or in small numbers
6. Working late at night or during early morning hours
7. Working in high-crime areas
8. Guarding expensive goods
9. Working where alcohol is served"

Read more about these crime types and track them!
Taxi Driver Robberies
Delivery Person Robbery
Business Robbery

Next Friday's lesson will focus on other types of pattern crimes to track using the COPS Problem Specific Guides as a resource.

Greg Saville on Radical Common Sense - the Analyst as Change Agent

Analysts' Corner on Blog Talk Radio on March 12, 2009 at 2 PM EDT. Join me, Deborah Osborne, and Greg Saville as we discuss new values of critical thinking and radical common sense within law enforcement, intelligence, and community development. How can the analyst become a change agent in a learning culture? Gregory Saville is a worldwide leader in crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED); he is an urban planner and a former Canadian police officer. Analysts' Corner on Blog Talk Radio has had over 10,000 downloads since its inception, in August 2008.

New link to show: https://www.leapodcasts.com/p/analysts-corner-podcast/

80+ Church Burglaries In 400 Days. Can You Help? (Crowdsourcing Analysis)

80+ Church Burglaries In 400 Days. Can You Help? (Crowdsourcing Analysis) ~ posted on the blog: sources and methods

This is your opportunity to engage in some collective analytical work!

Scholarship to Henley-Putnam University

The $5,000 Henley-Putnam University Strategic Security Scholarship will be awarded to qualified prospective students who are active military service members, veterans, or in the reserves and who apply by June 30, 2009 and are admitted and start classes by August 1, 2009. Read more about it...

Analysis at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

Analysts' Corner on Blog Talk Radio - March ,9, 2009 at 10 AM EDT: Join me, Deborah Osborne, Kristen Anderson, Angela Aufmuth and Carmen Glascow from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as we discuss analysis at the NCMEC. Kristen Anderson is the Director of the Case Analysis Division of the NCMEC. She appears weekly on CNN. Angela Aufmuth, Supervisor of the Sex Offender Tracking Team. Carmen Glasgow is the Supervisor of the Case Analysis Unit. An average of 2100 children are reported missing each day. Learn how analysts work to help find them and how they work to address child abductions and various forms of exploitation, such as trafficking in children. This is a fascinating show! See the website www.missingkids.com

New link to show: https://www.leapodcasts.com/p/analysts-corner-podcast/

LEANALYST

For those of you who used to be on the old LEANALYST listserv (devoted to law enforcement and the analysis of crime issues) and those of you Joining who would like to join:

To subscribe to LEANALYST mailing list on Google Groups you need to setup a GMAIL Account with any email address i.e. your work address, visit https://mail.google.com to sign up/create an account. If you need help go to Google help at http://mail.google.com/support/?ctx=about&hl=en

The new LEANALYST WEB PAGE is at: http://groups.google.com/group/leanalyst

<-**THE LEANALYST LIST IS DEVOTED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE ANALYSIS OF CRIME ISSUES!**->

Sal Perri is the LEANALYST Administrator and the Administrator for LEANALYST (SECURE) on CYBERCOP. He determines who can join.

The MO Project: Lesson Three

This post is a continuation of the once a week Friday Analysts' Corner post to explain, for working crime analysts, how to keep track of pattern data in their own files using MS Excel. I urge you all to listen to the podcast from earlier this week about information sharing. In the spirit of NOT silo-ing data, the Excel files you create can be saved in a shared folder for others in your agency to see, and should be saved in such a manner. JUST MAKE CERTAIN ONLY YOU AND YOUR ANALYTICAL TEAM CAN EDIT THE FILES! Careful data entry will pay off for future analytical tasks. You need quality control.

Here is an example workbook of how you might prepare a workbook for tracking all events related to firearms in your jurisdiction. Be sure to scroll through all sheets. I did not enter data - just some guidelines. Track what you feel matters for you as an analyst. NEVER do analysis in your tracking sheets. ALWAYS copy and paste to another Excel workbook to do analysis.

Next week I will discuss some important crime types to track - and tell you why they are important to prioritize with special effort and your TLC.

Blog "The Crime Map" by CrimeReports.com

The blog "The Crime Map" by CrimeReports.com is a good resource for aspects of crime mapping and the evolving policies of information sharing.

Analysts' Corner on Blog Talk Radio: Paul Wormeli on Analysts and Information Sharing

Analysts' Corner on Bog Talk Radio is back! Join me, Deborah Osborne and Paul Wormeli as we discuss the evolution of role of the analyst in policing, as well as information sharing via the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) - a Federal, State, Local and Tribal interagency initiative providing a foundation for seamless information exchange. Mr. Wormeli is the Executive Director of the Integrated Justice Information Systems (IJIS) Institute and has over 40 years of experience in law enforcement and criminal justice technology. See the Law Enforcement Information Technology Standards Council for resources mentioned in this show.

New link to show: https://www.leapodcasts.com/p/analysts-corner-podcast/

Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System

Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System is a site that may interest some of you.

Obama Outlines Homeland Security and Intelligence Priorities in 2010 Budget

Obama Outlines Homeland Security and Intelligence Priorities in 2010 Budget

Analysis: Arrests show cartels' U.S. reach

Analysis: Arrests show cartels' U.S. reach is an article that illustrates the need for the development of better analysis that is, perhaps, global.