NCJ Number
83074
Date Published
Unknown
Length
0 pages
Annotation
The usefulness of intelligence information to crime analysts is explained and better relations urged between the crime analysis units and intelligence units of a police department.
Abstract
While crime analysis uses information about crimes, intelligence information concerns criminals. The latter has traditionally been the purview of intelligence units, where it is closely guarded as confidential and the effectiveness of the detectives is measured in clearance rates. Crime analysts, on the other hand, easily disseminate information to patrol officers and the entire department, where it is used to increase everyone's effectiveness. Distrust and misunderstanding is often felt by detectives toward crime analysis units. Because it is valuable to perpetrator-oriented patrol, appropriate information about criminals should be made available to crime analysis units. Intra-organization jealousies should be averted by involvement of the department's top administrators and by helping detectives understand the crime analysis function. The concept of 'intelligence' might be replaced by that of 'information coordination.' Tips for gathering intelligence information and cross-referencing it with crime analysis files include clarifying State information storage and privacy laws by consulting legal experts, evaluating the reliability of hearsay information brought in by patrol officers, and keeping cross-indexing systems as simple as possible.