What is Crime Analysis

According to Steven Gottlieb, M.P.A. in Crime Analysis: from his book first report to final arrest, crime analysis is defined as a set of systematic, analytical processes directed at providing timely and pertinent information relative to crime patterns and trend correlations to assist operational and administrative personnel in planning the deployment of resources for the prevention and suppression of criminal activities, aiding the investigative process, and increasing apprehensions and the clearance of cases.

The Crime Analysis Unit provides statistical information in three different areas: Administrative, Strategic and Tactical.

Administrative Crime Analysis involves long range projects. Tasks include providing economic, geographic and law enforcement information to police management, city hall, city council, and neighborhood/citizen groups. Its purpose is financial, organizational, political, and legislative. It is critical to budget, personnel, public information, and legal issues.

Strategic Crime Analysis is concerned with operational strategies and seeks solutions to on-going problems. It provides information for resource allocation purposes, including patrol scheduling and beat configuration. Its purpose is to identify unusual crime activities over certain levels or at different seasonal times, identify unusual community conditions, provide police service more effectively and efficiently by matching demands for service with service delivery, reduce and/or eliminate recurring problems, and assist in community policing or problem oriented policing.

Tactical Crime Analysis deals with immediate criminal offenses to promote quick response. It provides information to assist operational personnel in the identification of specific crime trends and in the arrest of criminal offenders. The primary goal is to identify crime trends and patterns/series. Tactical information links offender and modus operandi information from a number of offense in an attempt to provide investigative leads, help solve crimes, and clear cases after apprehension and arrests.