Good Analytical Reports for Intelligence Led Policing

A blog reader asked me this question: What are some good examples of reports crime analysts can produce for intelligence led policing?

I reached out to Dr. Jerry Ratcliffe, author of the book Intelligence-Led Policing, and asked him this question. He replied:

"ILP focuses on repeat victims, crime hot spots, prolific offenders, and criminal groups. Each of these will potentially necessitate a different type of product. The most important characteristic of a product is that it influences the thinking of the decision-maker. If the decision-maker chooses a tactical option or strategy that they wouldn't have selected without the product, then the analyst knows they have done their job! Because it is dependent on influencing the decision-maker, the best product is one tailored to the decision-makers needs and place where they are at the time (emotionally, professionally, organizationally). That might be a one pager, an executive summary of a couple of pages, a chat over coffee, a concise verbal briefing, or even a 90 second elevator pitch. The secret is to understand the decision-makers needs and operational situation and what type of report is likely to achieve the overarching goal of getting to a good policy decision."

So, law enforcement analysts, knowing your decision-makers and developing trusted relationships with them is key! Emotional intelligence and social skills are just as important as technical and research skills... that's something to think about.