Crime Analysis

Introduction to Crime Analysis and its Types

[Author Name(s), First M. Last, Omit Titles and Degrees]

[Institutional Affiliation(s)]

Author Note

Introduction to Crime Analysis and its types

Crime analysis is an analytical tool, primarily used to support law enforcement agencies today. It is a systematic process aimed at providing timely and pertinent information regarding trend associations and crime patterns to aid with the investigative process ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"hwB1afLz","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Gottlieb, Arenberg, & Singh, 1994)","plainCitation":"(Gottlieb, Arenberg, & Singh, 1994)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":130,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/JGZGH5FW"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/JGZGH5FW"],"itemData":{"id":130,"type":"book","title":"Crime analysis: From first report to final arrest","publisher":"Alpha Publishing Montclair, CA","ISBN":"0-9634773-0-7","author":[{"family":"Gottlieb","given":"Steven"},{"family":"Arenberg","given":"Sheldon I."},{"family":"Singh","given":"Raj"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1994"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Gottlieb, Arenberg, & Singh, 1994). The role of crime analyst varies from one law enforcement agency to another. Some agencies law enforcement agencies like the police use crime analysis for the purpose of mapping crimes for the command staff. This enables them to produce crime statistic within a particular community in a particular period. On the other hand, other agencies use suspect information and police reports to help investigators with their case. These cases may range from anything, from investing serial robbers to drug cartels, to sex offenders and in some cases, serial murders.

Crime analysis, in simple words, is the act of analyzing crime. It breaks up the acts committed in the violation of the law into smaller components in order to study the nature of these violations and report what they discover. The prime purpose of this exercise is to find meanings in vast amounts of data and help investigators and officers with their investigations ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"YOoSKTNa","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Osborne & Wernicke, 2003)","plainCitation":"(Osborne & Wernicke, 2003)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":128,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/CSD87PSG"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/CSD87PSG"],"itemData":{"id":128,"type":"book","title":"Introduction to crime analysis: Basic resources for criminal justice practice","publisher":"Psychology Press","ISBN":"0-7890-1868-3","author":[{"family":"Osborne","given":"Deborah"},{"family":"Wernicke","given":"Susan"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2003"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Osborne & Wernicke, 2003). Crime analysis is not only used to investigate an offense that has already been committed, but it can also be used as a tool to prevent future crimes. With that being said, crime analysis, or criminal analysis is divided into three types, i.e. administrative criminal analysis, strategic criminal analysis, and tactical criminal analysis. These papers seek to differentiate between the three types of criminal analysis, using examples from IACA i.e. the International Association of Crime Analysts.

The type this paper focuses on is administrative criminal analysis. In general works towards providing management information. The data being analyzed here is summarized into generally comprehensible forms. It mostly deals with information regarding geographic and economics and is not focused on solving any current, or even recurring, problems. It is helpful in long term planning of strategies and is more than capable of providing a detailed analysis of the required tasks. It also provides the summarized information that is released to the public with respect to crime, therefore the reports generated in a format that is easily comprehensible. These reports mostly contain details of the city council meets and other documents from the public offices. With most criminal analyst working in this field, it holds in due importance ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"M9e8LIKs","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Gottlieb et al., 1994)","plainCitation":"(Gottlieb et al., 1994)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":130,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/JGZGH5FW"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/JGZGH5FW"],"itemData":{"id":130,"type":"book","title":"Crime analysis: From first report to final arrest","publisher":"Alpha Publishing Montclair, CA","ISBN":"0-9634773-0-7","author":[{"family":"Gottlieb","given":"Steven"},{"family":"Arenberg","given":"Sheldon I."},{"family":"Singh","given":"Raj"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1994"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Gottlieb et al., 1994). According to the IACA resources, during the Ontario Death investigation, the maps with the charts serve as a great example for administrative analysis. They were used as evidence before the jury at trial, aiding in understanding the situation. This, in turn, made the jury’s decision easier ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"AzATiBAd","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Evans, 2010)","plainCitation":"(Evans, 2010)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":132,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/26GWIX5M"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/26GWIX5M"],"itemData":{"id":132,"type":"book","title":"Trials and the Courts","publisher":"Infobase Publishing","ISBN":"1-60413-616-2","author":[{"family":"Evans","given":"Colin"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2010"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Evans, 2010).

The tactical crime analysis deals with everyday identification and analysis of crimes. The criminal analysts working in tactical crime analysis are usually tasked with studying trends and series in the provided data set. It primarily aims towards gathering of information that can enable law enforcement agencies combating current crime, while keeping emerging crime at bay. These analysts mostly study patterns and figuring out the very best way to address these issues. Here the offender is linked to his/her offense using the preferred mode of operation. This allows agencies to combat day to day crimes while enabling them to increase their response rate since they are in some ways aware of the situation. This form of crime analysis is critical to the court of law ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"sGJthKLK","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Baker, 2005)","plainCitation":"(Baker, 2005)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":133,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/URA9Y2FP"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/URA9Y2FP"],"itemData":{"id":133,"type":"book","title":"Introductory criminal analysis: Crime prevention and intervention strategies","publisher":"Pearson Prentice Hall","ISBN":"0-13-099609-2","author":[{"family":"Baker","given":"Thomas E."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2005"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Baker, 2005). A prime example of this type of criminal analysis is the Brown Mask Bandit Series from North Diego County. The information provided summaries all the robberies, and how they took place. The common aspects of all the robberies were that the robbers had a mask on and carried a silver or a black gun. He also put the stolen cash in his backpack and walking away from the crime scene. The data obtained suggested that of all that six robberies that took place, 3 took place on a Monday while 2 occurred on Wednesdays, and one on a Sunday, all between the timings of 5 pm and 8 pm ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"PC70mxxY","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Velasco & Boba, 2000)","plainCitation":"(Velasco & Boba, 2000)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":134,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/7QQXGJAA"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/7QQXGJAA"],"itemData":{"id":134,"type":"article-journal","title":"Tactical crime analysis and geographic information systems: Concepts and examples","container-title":"Crime mapping news","page":"1-4","volume":"2","issue":"2","author":[{"family":"Velasco","given":"Mary"},{"family":"Boba","given":"Rachel"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2000"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Velasco & Boba, 2000). Only one time, the suspect was noticed trying to get away from a crime scene using a car. According to analysts working for Massachusetts Association of Crime (2008), if a pattern of behavior could be established regarding this particular suspect, the police and other law enforcement agencies count remain prepared and be able to apprehend the suspect.

Strategic crime analysis works on a long term basis, as compared to tactical analysis. It solves ongoing problems that are a month to a decade long and observed an unusual increase and decrease in crime rates around the area. This type of crime analysis seeks to study this shift in crime trend, trying to find its cause and employs statistical means to do so. Unlike other types, it seeks solutions to existing problems. It helps with community policing. The perfect example of this form of analysis is a monthly brief released by the Albany Police Department. The report contains a map which indicates all the areas that fall under the jurisdiction of the department and the number of criminal accidents in the area. This allows for effective allocation of resources, employing for patrol cars in areas where it is needed. This shows a stark decrease in calls to the department and makes for a healthier community ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"IQ4Rxb6z","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Baker, 2005)","plainCitation":"(Baker, 2005)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":133,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/URA9Y2FP"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/URA9Y2FP"],"itemData":{"id":133,"type":"book","title":"Introductory criminal analysis: Crime prevention and intervention strategies","publisher":"Pearson Prentice Hall","ISBN":"0-13-099609-2","author":[{"family":"Baker","given":"Thomas E."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2005"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Baker, 2005).

All the mentioned types of criminal analysis work on a different aspect of law enforcement. However, they all work under one common goal, to fight crime and bring justice to the masses. They employ the use of the latest technology as well as statistical tools, making their work a whole lot easier.

References

ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Baker, T. E. (2005). Introductory criminal analysis: Crime prevention and intervention strategies. Pearson Prentice Hall.

Evans, C. (2010). Trials and the Courts. Infobase Publishing.

Gottlieb, S., Arenberg, S. I., & Singh, R. (1994). Crime analysis: From first report to final arrest. Alpha Publishing Montclair, CA.

Osborne, D., & Wernicke, S. (2003). Introduction to crime analysis: Basic resources for criminal justice practice. Psychology Press.

Velasco, M., & Boba, R. (2000). Tactical crime analysis and geographic information systems: Concepts and examples. Crime Mapping News, 2(2), 1–4.