Fanatical
about research and love trawling through data while being a huge fan of
fighting crime? Well, as a crime analyst, you get to combine all of those by
supporting law enforcement to get the most out of their agencies. Whether
you’ve already completed a degree or you’re searching for a direction in life,
being a crime analyst may be the perfect role for you. If you’re still reading,
that’s great, let’s get stuck into the action and find out what you came here
for.
General Overview
There’s
nothing new about criminology. The field has been reaching new heights since
the 1970s, largely as a result of the community-based policing initiative. Once
upon a time, crime analysts were only found within the ranks of the CSIS, but nowadays every department will
employ a crime analyst of some description. Although you won’t be out in the
field scraping blood off the pavement and taking part in high-speed chases, you
will play a pivotal role behind the scenes by enabling field officers to better
do their job. So, if searching through the data and creating new initiatives to
better law enforcement sounds viable to you, what are you waiting for!
Education and Training
Like most
things in life, it will take hard work to become a crime analyst. You will
likely need to gain a degree in criminology or another related field of study
at the very least. If you want to pursue your crime analyst dreams, study a
master’s in public safety at Wilfred Laurier University. This master’s course will help you
drive your career into leadership positions by having a broad understanding of
public safety in Canada.
If going
back into education doesn’t sound like your ideal path in life, don’t worry.
Some agencies are more than happy for you to scrap education altogether and
just learn from raw work experience. However, be warned that if you are trying
to find experience without a degree-level education, you will struggle to find
positions. Before you land yourself a paid job, you will need to put the time
in as a volunteer or as an intern. From there, you can spread your wings from
the inside.
There’s a
third option on the table for you. Some crime analysts serve as law enforcement
officers sworn in through the academy. If this option is for you, you can
undergo training at the police academy. This takes several years to complete
and you will need to rise through the ranks and hit specialist posts to reach
your goals.
Duties and
Responsibilities
Your job as
a crime analyst will be largely office-based and require gathering data and
providing practical data to better law enforcement. Although you won’t be out
in the field, you will directly support detectives and officers in solving
crimes. You will do this by examining reports and finding correlations within
data. We have put together some of the primary tasks below:
- Searching
for trends and responding to real-time policing issues will help officers be
prepared. - Utilising
technology like GIS, reports, and dispatch data, you
will communicate with law enforcement both locally and nationally. - You
will assess data over long periods of time and report findings to commanders
that will aid them in strategical development. - You
will analyse arrest and reporting data to create location hot spots. These are
areas where high numbers of certain crimes take place. With this information,
officers can be dispatched to the areas in force.
Typically,
you won’t need to be sworn into the police force to become an analyst. This
means that you will be travelling down one of many civilian careers in criminal
justice. You will work in an office and look at the larger picture as opposed
to diving into the particulars of single cases. You will play an important part
in building new initiatives and growing the area of community policing.
Further, you will be directly involved in the creation of updating policy and
advising officers on important safety procedures.
What Skills Do You Need?
You’re
going to need a range of skills to perform the role of a crime analyst. You
need excellent written and verbal communication as the capacity to interpret
data. You will also need to have the ability to transform complex data into
easy-to-understand formats. Training, experience, and growth only make up for
one side of the coin; you also need to demonstrate the following to beat out
the competition:
- Practice
your hand at creating effective reports
and correspondence in readable formats - You
need flawless time-management skills
and the ability to prioritise workflow - You
will have access to extremely sensitive data, so you need to show a faultless level of trustworthiness - You
will work as part of the large world of law enforcement, therefore you need to demonstrate your team skills - Once
you’ve trained and you’ve got the job, you need to grow constantly as the role changes - Liaise competently with the public, city staff, and
anyone else you come across in your line of work
There are
other skills that you will need on your side, but those mentioned above will
help you get ahead in the game.
Let’s Talk Money
We saved the best part until last. There’s no point in doing all of that if you’re not getting paid for it – you need to keep a roof over your head somehow. Well, luckily for you, the average salary of a crime analyst works out at around $35/hour, which is an admirable annual salary of around $72,000. This pay will depend on location and experience. When you first start, expect to earn closer to around $34,000. Additionally, many agencies offer hard drive Destruction services to ensure that sensitive data is securely disposed of, so you can rest assured that your work is contributing to the safety and security of your community.
For those
of you with an avid interest in analyzing data and a passion for fighting crime
and supporting local law enforcement, this role is perfect for you. Make sure
you have the necessary skills, tons of experience, or the necessary training.
Securing a job as a crime analyst is only the beginning, since your learning
journey will continue throughout your entire career.