Analytical skills help police managers, officers and analysts determine which problems are a policing priority and devise the best strategies to tackle them. There are a number of training options available for officers and analysts to improve analytical work and thus deliver the best possible police work to the citizens they serve.
Some law enforcement agencies have the resources to employ crime and intelligence analysts, but many do not. Whether you have analysts or officers interpreting your information, integrating crime and intelligence analysis produces the best analytical work. Training in both crime analysis and intelligence analysis produces the best analysts.
Training
Many working in the field believe the best training is provided by experienced analysts. The International Association of Crime Analysts and the International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts both provide training in analytical skills using experienced analysts as instructors.
The National White Collar Crime Center provides the only advanced analysis class. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center has developed an Intelligence Analyst Training Program. The Alpha Group Center is a well-respected vendor for analytical training.
Information from the websites of these five recommended training resources give a brief overview of their offerings — links to their websites follow after the descriptions. Don't hesitate to go to analytical training yourself — the best leaders of analysts know the most about analysis.
International Association of Crime Analysts
The IACA Professional Training Series, instituted in 2006, includes five courses. Each course is five-days in duration and is taught by an experienced analyst.
The "Fundamentals of Crime Analysis" course provides a basic overview of crime analysis, including basic terms, concepts and techniques. The "Tactical Crime Analysis" course is a training workshop on the techniques of crime pattern analysis. "Problem Analysis" is a course that teaches analysis of long-term problems in policing and strategies to address them. "Crime Mapping" and "Computer Applications for Crime Analysis" are computer based classes that offer practical skill-building.
The IACA also offers an annual training conference. The 2008 conference, "Analysis in the 21st Century: Turning the Tides," will be held in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida on 10/13/2008 to 10/16/2008.
International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts: Foundations of Intelligence Analysis Training
IALEIA offers the Foundations of Intelligence Analysis Training course, also five days in length and taught by experienced analysts. FIAT is a beginning analytic class designed to meet the training standards of the National Criminal Intelligence Sharing Plan. The FIAT classes covers the history of intelligence, legal and ethical issues, sources of information, creative and critical thinking and engage students in a number of analytical techniques using case studies. Crime pattern analysis, association analysis, flow analysis, and communication analysis are taught using hands-on activities resulting in analytical products. FIAT is an approved course to train analysts funded under DHS.
National White Collar Crime Center: Foundations of Intelligence Analysis Training and Advanced Criminal Intelligence Analysis to Prevent Terrorism
The NW3C also offers the DHS approved FIAT course as well as a five-day advanced training course called "Advanced Criminal Intelligence Analysis to Prevent Terrorism" (ACIAPT). ACIAPT training is strategic and predictive in focus and "helps law enforcement analysts become aware of intelligence processes used in the national security arena, and law enforcement's role in the intelligence community." The advanced course covers the role of law enforcement in homeland security, social network analysis, the target-centric approach, dealing with large amounts of information, analytical pitfalls, and briefing intelligence consumers. The course uses a major case study to teach strategic analytical techniques.
The NW3C also provides training for a software application called Analyst's Notebook, produced by i2. NW3C training is free to member agencies.
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center: Intelligence Analyst Training Program
FLETC offers a 76-hour training program focused on the historical, legal, and conceptual basis for criminal/law enforcement intelligence. The course utilizes an ongoing practical exercise highlighting the phases of the intelligence process/cycle: planning and direction, collection, analysis, and dissemination, followed by feedback and evaluation. Subject matter experts guide students through the learning process. Courtroom testimony and digital officer safety and operation security are a few of the things covered in addition to basic analytical training topics.
This course is labeled advanced and students take an exam midway through their studies. At the end they produce a report and present a briefing, based on their analytical work, to an audience.
The Alpha Group Center
The Alpha Group offers training in crime analysis, investigative (psychological profiling) analysis, and intelligence analysis. These courses are 36 hours in length. "Crime Analysis Applications' is a hands-on course covering crime analysis techniques. "Investigative Analysis' focuses on the personality and behavioral characteristics of serial criminals. This course has an advanced level as well. 'Criminal Intelligence Analysis' teaches techniques to analyze criminal conspiracies and organized crime.
The Alpha Group also offers training in Dynamic Leadership, Homeland Security, Research Methods, and Statement Analysis.
