NCJ Number
176071
Date Published
1997
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This manual presents guidelines for use by police agencies, sheriffs' offices, prosecutors' offices, and other criminal justice agencies in starting and operating an analytic unit to analyze information to support the intelligence, investigation, and planning activities of the agency.
Abstract
The discussion notes that a typical analytic unit in an agency with 75 or more sworn officers has a manager and 3-12 analysts. Ideally, the analytic manager should be an experienced analyst. Crucial skills and traits for analysts include excellent research and writing skills, computer literacy, creativity, ability to work independently, logical thought processes, persistence, willingness to make judgments, and visualization skills. Written procedures are needed to guide the collection, collation, evaluation, storage, analysis, and dissemination of information. The analysis unit should produce tactical analysis products such as association analyses and telephone record analyses, crime analysis products such as crime bulletins and crime pattern analyses, and strategic analysis products such vulnerability assessments on events and action plans for police activities. The products and successes of an analytic unit must be describable and measurable. Information about salaries; training; certification; the Drug Group Model of the National Drug Intelligence Center; and print, software, and organizational resources