The use of indicators is undervalued in law enforcement analysis. By indicators, I mean using sets of previously identified characteristics that help "diagnose" patterns of crimes.
Dictionary result for indicator:
noun
plural noun: indicators
1. a thing, especially a trend or fact, that indicates the state or level of something.
"car ownership is frequently used as an indicator of affluence"
synonyms: measure, gauge, barometer, index, mark, sign, signal; More
2. a gauge or meter of a specified kind. "a speed indicator"
Read more about indicators at:
Human Trafficking Indicators
INDICATORS: THE LINGUA FRANCA OF ANALYTIC TECHNIQUES
Monday, June 17, 2019
Friday, June 14, 2019
#11 Lessons From My Story
I will post a "lesson" from my life as an analyst once a week until I run out of them! Skip over these if they don't interest you. For those who read on, consider the power of your own stories and where they might take you. And if you want to follow these post threads, in the future click on the label "my story."
Lesson: Your analysis may be unwelcome.
Once I was meeting with a top commander to provide him with the statistical analysis he had requested. He was very angry with me, because he statistics did not reflect what he wanted to hear and could be interpreted as a policing failure.
I told this commander that he needed to know the facts to be prepared to deal with the media and community leaders. He did not like hearing that, either.
Your job as an analyst is to provide facts, not to twist them to please policy-makers.
Another way your analysis might be unwelcome is when your work makes more work for officers or investigators. If you uncover a significant problem, you may be viewed as a problem yourself!
Nevertheless, do your work with integrity. Don't hide anything. If you present more problems, come armed with possible solutions.
Stand up for the truth.
Lesson: Your analysis may be unwelcome.
Once I was meeting with a top commander to provide him with the statistical analysis he had requested. He was very angry with me, because he statistics did not reflect what he wanted to hear and could be interpreted as a policing failure.
I told this commander that he needed to know the facts to be prepared to deal with the media and community leaders. He did not like hearing that, either.
Your job as an analyst is to provide facts, not to twist them to please policy-makers.
Another way your analysis might be unwelcome is when your work makes more work for officers or investigators. If you uncover a significant problem, you may be viewed as a problem yourself!
Nevertheless, do your work with integrity. Don't hide anything. If you present more problems, come armed with possible solutions.
Stand up for the truth.
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
For Analysts: Talking to Decision-makers
In the blog post 6 Things To Think About While Discussing Requirements With A Decisionmaker, Kristan Wheaton, Professor of Intelligence Studies at Mercyhurst University, discusses something we don't emphasis enough in the analytical world: how to approach the decision-makers to get the best results possible.
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
—George Bernard Shaw
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
—George Bernard Shaw
Monday, June 10, 2019
ATTRIBUTES OF AN ANALYST: WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THE INTELLIGENCE ANALYSTS JOB DESCRIPTION
ATTRIBUTES OF AN ANALYST: WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THE INTELLIGENCE ANALYSTS JOB DESCRIPTION is an Australian research article worth reading.
From the article:
"CONCLUSION
The intelligence analyst plays an important role in any organisation as an advisor to the organisational decision makers. Analysts need to be well educated intellectual individuals whom are able to undertake complex research and analysis then importantly communicate the output of their analysis in an effective manner, such that their decision makers are able to make optimal decisions. The sample of job advertisements analysed in this study revealed a number of weaknesses. Firstly, the limited inclusion of educational requirements has the potential to dissuade graduates from applying for entry level intelligence positions. Secondly, the focus on using the generic public service attributes create a perception that many of entry level intelligence analyst roles are nothing more than clerical and administration roles. This may also dissuade potential graduate applicants from applying for those entry level roles. Finally it is possible that those individuals recruited as analysts on the basis of their fit with the generic attributes may lack the intellectual and cognitive attributes required for the role."
Based on my own research and experience, I think it is good for the profession to NOT limit job applicants to those with criminal justice backgrounds. The best analysts are those who have excellent thinking skills and initiative to learn on their own.
From the article:
"CONCLUSION
The intelligence analyst plays an important role in any organisation as an advisor to the organisational decision makers. Analysts need to be well educated intellectual individuals whom are able to undertake complex research and analysis then importantly communicate the output of their analysis in an effective manner, such that their decision makers are able to make optimal decisions. The sample of job advertisements analysed in this study revealed a number of weaknesses. Firstly, the limited inclusion of educational requirements has the potential to dissuade graduates from applying for entry level intelligence positions. Secondly, the focus on using the generic public service attributes create a perception that many of entry level intelligence analyst roles are nothing more than clerical and administration roles. This may also dissuade potential graduate applicants from applying for those entry level roles. Finally it is possible that those individuals recruited as analysts on the basis of their fit with the generic attributes may lack the intellectual and cognitive attributes required for the role."
Based on my own research and experience, I think it is good for the profession to NOT limit job applicants to those with criminal justice backgrounds. The best analysts are those who have excellent thinking skills and initiative to learn on their own.
Friday, June 7, 2019
#10 Lessons From My Story
I will post a "lesson" from my life as an analyst once a week until I run out of them! Skip over these if they don't interest you. For those who read on, consider the power of your own stories and where they might take you. And if you want to follow these post threads, in the future click on the label "my story."
Lesson: Learn from the whole world. (Don't be an isolationist. )
My grandfather was born in Canada and we had a cottage there during my early childhood. Canada is just across the Niagara River when you live in Buffalo - it is not considered by most Buffalonians to be a foreign country.
When I was working at the Buffalo Police Department as a crime analyst, it was no big deal for me to attend analyst meetings, even as far away as Toronto. It was important for my professional development, because the field of crime analysis was more accepted there than in New York State at that time. I was supported by and learned from Canadian analysts.
I had attended a colloquium organized by Robert Heibel from Mercyhurst College that included attendees from other nations interested in developing the intelligence analyst profession. There I met Mark Evans from the Police Services of Northern Ireland (PSNI). He was professionalizing the role of the analyst in policing in Northern Ireland (and later went on to receive an OBE from the Queen of England because of this work). I helped him arrange secondments with police agencies in the United States and Canada as an international exchange of ideas and insights.
In my work as a federal law enforcement analyst this would never of happened. There are so many restrictions on analysts at this level of service. While the two law enforcement analyst associations both have "international"in their names, I venture to guess that many analysts do not think about learning from the best practices of other countries.
I am so happy that I came from another professional background before I became a crime analyst and did not have the belief that any one country has all the answers.
Lesson: Learn from the whole world. (Don't be an isolationist. )
My grandfather was born in Canada and we had a cottage there during my early childhood. Canada is just across the Niagara River when you live in Buffalo - it is not considered by most Buffalonians to be a foreign country.
When I was working at the Buffalo Police Department as a crime analyst, it was no big deal for me to attend analyst meetings, even as far away as Toronto. It was important for my professional development, because the field of crime analysis was more accepted there than in New York State at that time. I was supported by and learned from Canadian analysts.
I had attended a colloquium organized by Robert Heibel from Mercyhurst College that included attendees from other nations interested in developing the intelligence analyst profession. There I met Mark Evans from the Police Services of Northern Ireland (PSNI). He was professionalizing the role of the analyst in policing in Northern Ireland (and later went on to receive an OBE from the Queen of England because of this work). I helped him arrange secondments with police agencies in the United States and Canada as an international exchange of ideas and insights.
In my work as a federal law enforcement analyst this would never of happened. There are so many restrictions on analysts at this level of service. While the two law enforcement analyst associations both have "international"in their names, I venture to guess that many analysts do not think about learning from the best practices of other countries.
I am so happy that I came from another professional background before I became a crime analyst and did not have the belief that any one country has all the answers.
Thursday, June 6, 2019
Business Email Compromise
Occasionally, I will be posting information on various crime types for law enforcement analyst awareness. Business Email Compromise (BEC) came to my attention when I worked as an Investigative Analyst in a federal law enforcement agency. It is a widespread scam that can be combatted by educating businesses.
"BEC, also known as cyber-enabled financial fraud, is a sophisticated scam that often targets employees with access to company finances and trick them—using a variety of methods like social engineering and computer intrusions—into making wire transfers to bank accounts thought to belong to trusted partners but instead belong to accounts controlled by the criminals themselves."
"Here are the most current and frequent BEC scenarios identified by the FBI:
Read more at:
How BEC scams became 2017’s most lucrative crime
International Business E-Mail Compromise Takedown
FBI Report: Global BEC Losses Exceeded US$12 Billion in 2018
"BEC, also known as cyber-enabled financial fraud, is a sophisticated scam that often targets employees with access to company finances and trick them—using a variety of methods like social engineering and computer intrusions—into making wire transfers to bank accounts thought to belong to trusted partners but instead belong to accounts controlled by the criminals themselves."
"Here are the most current and frequent BEC scenarios identified by the FBI:
- Business Executive: Criminals spoof or compromise e-mail accounts of high-level business executives, including chief information officers and chief financial officers, which result in the processing of a wire transfer to a fraudulent account
- Real Estate Transactions: Criminal impersonate sellers, realtors, title companies, or law firms during a real estate transaction to ask the home buyer for funds to be sent to a fraudulent account
- Data and W-2 Theft: Criminals, using a compromised business executive’s e-mail account, send fraudulent requests for W-2 information or other personally identifiable information to an entity in an organization that routinely maintains that sort of information
- Supply Chain: Criminals send fraudulent requests to redirect funds during a pending business deal, transaction, or invoice payment to an account controlled by a money mule or bad actor
- Law Firms: Criminals find out about trust accounts or litigation and impersonate a law firm client to change the recipient bank information to a fraudulent account."
Read more at:
How BEC scams became 2017’s most lucrative crime
International Business E-Mail Compromise Takedown
FBI Report: Global BEC Losses Exceeded US$12 Billion in 2018
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
Free Cybercrime Training for Law Enforcement
The International Association of Police website has a page on free cybercrime training for law enforcement at this link.
Flyer for cybercrime training opportunities:
Cybercrime Training for Law Enforcement
Flyer for cybercrime training opportunities:
Cybercrime Training for Law Enforcement
Monday, June 3, 2019
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