Criminal Intelligence Analysis
Criminal Intelligence Analysis (sometimes called Crime Analysis) has been recognized by law enforcement as a useful support tool for over twenty-five years and is successfully used within the international community. Within the last decade, the role and position of Criminal Intelligence Analysis in the global law enforcement community has fundamentally changed. Whereas previously there were a few key countries acting as forerunners and promoters of the discipline, more and more countries have implemented analytical techniques within their police forces. International organisations, such as INTERPOL, Europol and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), all have Criminal Intelligence Analysts among their personnel. The techniques are also widely used within private sector organizations.
There are many definitions of Criminal Intelligence Analysis in use throughout the world. The one definition agreed in June 1992 by an international group of twelve European INTERPOL member countries and subsequently adopted by other countries is as follows:
'The identification of and provision of insight into the relationship between crime data and other potentially relevant data with a view to police and judicial practice'.
The central task of Analysis is to help officials - law enforcers, policy makers, and decision makers - deal more effectively with uncertainty, to provide timely warning of threats, and to support operational activity by analysing crime.
Criminal Intelligence Analysis is divided into operational (or tactical) and strategic analysis. The basic skills required are similar, and the difference lies in the level of detail and the type of client to whom the products are aimed. Operational Analysis aims to achieve a specific law enforcement outcome. This might be arrests, seizure or forfeiture of assets or money gained from criminal activities, or the disruption of a criminal group. Operational Analysis usually has a more immediate benefit. Strategic Analysis is intended to inform higher level decision making and the benefits are realised over the longer term. It is usually aimed at managers and policy-makers rather than individual investigators. The intention is to provide early warning of threats and to support senior decision-makers in setting priorities to prepare their organizations to be able to deal with emerging criminal issues. This might mean allocating resources to different areas of crime, increased training in a crime fighting technique, or taking steps to close a loophole in a process.
Both disciplines make use of a range of analytical techniques and Analysts need to have a range of skills and attributes.
There are many definitions of Criminal Intelligence Analysis in use throughout the world. The one definition agreed in June 1992 by an international group of twelve European INTERPOL member countries and subsequently adopted by other countries is as follows:
'The identification of and provision of insight into the relationship between crime data and other potentially relevant data with a view to police and judicial practice'.
The central task of Analysis is to help officials - law enforcers, policy makers, and decision makers - deal more effectively with uncertainty, to provide timely warning of threats, and to support operational activity by analysing crime.
Criminal Intelligence Analysis is divided into operational (or tactical) and strategic analysis. The basic skills required are similar, and the difference lies in the level of detail and the type of client to whom the products are aimed. Operational Analysis aims to achieve a specific law enforcement outcome. This might be arrests, seizure or forfeiture of assets or money gained from criminal activities, or the disruption of a criminal group. Operational Analysis usually has a more immediate benefit. Strategic Analysis is intended to inform higher level decision making and the benefits are realised over the longer term. It is usually aimed at managers and policy-makers rather than individual investigators. The intention is to provide early warning of threats and to support senior decision-makers in setting priorities to prepare their organizations to be able to deal with emerging criminal issues. This might mean allocating resources to different areas of crime, increased training in a crime fighting technique, or taking steps to close a loophole in a process.
Both disciplines make use of a range of analytical techniques and Analysts need to have a range of skills and attributes.
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