An Objective Means to Access Crime Problems Locally, Regionally, and Globally

Below is snippet of my MA final project written in 2001. The entire paper can be found at the International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts' website on the Resources & Publications/Police and Intelligence section - the bottom line, "The Role of the Crime Analyst in Policing (Osborne)." Access it at this link.

 An Objective Means to Access Crime Problems Locally, Regionally, and Globally

     One might argue that a crime analyst within a law enforcement agency may not be objective about crime problems, but objectivity is essential in the analytical function. An awareness that objectivity is affected by personal bias can help the crime analyst avoid operating with a narrow mindset. Processing information to find meaningful facts requires a dedication to the truth. A crime analyst in a law enforcement agency is in an ideal position to facilitate the capture and collection of accurate data by police personnel. He or she has access to the organization from top to bottom. The crime analyst can communicate the importance of quality data to the top police manager and to the patrol officer. By producing good crime analysis products for a police department, the crime analyst can illustrate the benefits of gathering good information to those in the position to provide it.

     Criminal justice researchers everywhere know the difficulty of accessing the type of data found in law enforcement agencies, and the problems associated with the lack of good data. Some data are confidential, and researchers cannot access them because they do not have the “right to know. “ The crime analyst has access to information in a police department that is not available to researchers. Because of this, an agency’s crime analyst, at an unprecedented level of thoroughness, can conduct the scientific process of analyzing crime using inference and data analysis tools.

     The crime analyst position is also very advantageous in sharing information where it will have immediate impact. Tactical crime analysis can, when used as a tool by officers, affect the arrest of criminals and the deterrence of crime. Most researchers do not have the pleasure of seeing the immediate benefits of their research.

     As the researchers of current crime within a local law enforcement agency, crime analysts can communicate with other law enforcement agencies in a timely manner to facilitate the early detection of emerging crime problems locally, regionally, and even globally. (Communication between intelligence analysts about Russian mob activity in the United Sates, Canada, and Russia is one example of the role of analysts in identifying current crime problems across many jurisdictions.) Without first identifying a crime problem, there is no hope of finding a solution to it. Criminals do not respect jurisdictional boundaries and take advantage of the fact it is difficult for law enforcers to detect illegal activities cross-jurisdictionally.

     Having a crime analysis function at the local law enforcement level can also help researchers develop meaningful projects, innovations that are more likely to be applicable in the real world of policing. Crime analysts can bridge the communication gap that often exists between officers on the street and the “ivory tower.”