A crime analyst analyzes trends and statistics pertaining to crime in a localized area or in a region with the goal of identifying patterns, supporting the work of law enforcement and helping to reduce future crime. Crime analysts aren’t the same as crime scene technicians or investigators, but they play a critical role in the criminal justice field.

Crime analysis and criminal profiling is not a new field, although for many decades, only large precincts in metropolitan areas had room in their budgets for criminologists to perform these tasks. Yet, positions for criminal investigative analyst professionals have become more common and may now be found in both rural and urban areas.^{(See disclaimer 1)}

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in the criminal justice field, you have many options to consider — from law enforcement to corrections to forensic science to crime analysis. Take a closer look at questions like, What is a crime analyst? and What degree do you need to be a crime analyst? Then, decide if this career pathway could be right for you.

A crime analyst is a criminal justice professional who is responsible for supporting the efforts of law enforcement agencies in both a proactive and reactive way. Crime analysts work alongside law enforcement personnel, analyzing patterns of criminal behavior in an area. Their goal is to solve open cases, reduce the risk of future crimes and educate the public about crime prevention and criminal trends.

This career field is heavily focused on research. It involves studying patterns and trends in criminal behavior. This research may be used to develop crime prevention programs to help keep community members safer. In other cases, crime analysts might directly contribute to the identification of suspects, such as by identifying patterns of repeat criminal behavior.

Some crime analysts may also produce scholarly works that explain their findings to assist their counterparts in enforcement organizations around the world. For example, some professionals may contribute reports to the International Association of Crime Analysts (IACA).^{(See disclaimer 2 )}

What does a crime analyst do on a day-to-day basis? Crime analysts evaluate quantitative and qualitative data related to criminal activity, the community and the police department to identify trends and patterns. Their work involves analysis of the following: 

• Crime and criminals
• Victims of crimes
• Quality of life issues in the community
• Traffic concerns
• Internal police operations

In reviewing these data, crime analysts seek to identify ways of supporting police investigations and prosecutions, making patrol activities more efficient and effective, identifying crime prevention strategies for the community and evaluating the effectiveness of law enforcement efforts. Crime analysts do not generally visit crime scenes themselves; rather, they perform their research in their office using known data.

A typical crime analyst job description may vary from one department to the next. In general, however, these professionals may perform any of the following tasks:

• Use crime-mapping technology, police reports and other raw data to develop a better understanding of criminal behaviors and trends
• Advise law enforcement officers about criminal behavior and trends
• Identify crime hot spots and advise on the allocation of police resources
• Identify emerging challenges in criminology and develop suggestions for strategic responses
• Develop charts, maps and other materials for use by the prosecution in criminal trials
• Create crime bulletins, summaries and risk assessments and develop forecasts of future crime trends
• Develop course materials and train law enforcement and intelligence staff on crime data analytics

However, crime analysts do not focus solely on trends. They also work on specific cases. They review the raw data and analyze evidence and crime scenes. Based on their findings, crime analysts can develop a psychological profile of a suspect. This is known as criminal profiling.

When profiling a criminal, a crime analyst will consider possible personality traits and psychopathologies as well as demographic information, such as likely age and geographic location. These insights can help investigators narrow down the suspect list and bring the criminal to justice.

There are sometimes opportunities to specialize in this profession, depending on the size and resources of the law enforcement department. For example, a large department may have multiple crime analysts. According to Go Law Enforcement, a crime analyst may specialize in property crimes or violent crimes, for example. Some crime analysts may specialize in administration and strategic planning and may focus on issues like patrol allocations.^{(See disclaimer 3 )}

Crime analysts can work for any level of law enforcement — from local precincts to state police to federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI. As stated in this Indeed article, they can work for correctional facilities, private security companies and policy and research institutes.^{(See disclaimer 4 )}

There is no universal pathway toward becoming a crime analyst, as employers establish their own career requirements. It’s typical, however, for aspiring crime analysts to need a relevant bachelor’s degree. It’s common for crime analysts to hold a bachelor’s degree in areas such as criminal justice, sociology or statistics.^{(See disclaimer 5 )}

Crime analysis isn’t always an entry-level role. Instead, many future crime analysts first gain entry-level experience in a law enforcement-related capacity. They may apply to civilian jobs that involve working with data and geo-mapping software, for example.^{(See disclaimer 5)}

Keep in mind that many departments require or prefer their crime analysts to also be sworn police officers. Depending on where you intend to work, you may need to apply to the local police academy. This generally requires being a U.S. citizen or resident, completing a thorough background check and passing a polygraph test. In the police training program, you’ll complete classroom and field training, and you’ll typically need to pass an exam.^{(See disclaimer 5)}

Some departments prefer or require their crime analysts to obtain professional certification. Even if certification isn’t a requirement, becoming certified may improve your career prospects. You can pursue a professional certification through the IACA or the International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts (IALEIA). To do so, you may be required to demonstrate certain credentials and to pass an exam.^{(See disclaimer 5)}

Certain skills can support a career in crime analysis. You can work on developing these skills during your education and throughout your career.

Criminal analysts spend a great deal of time on solitary research pursuits, but they must also frequently collaborate with other professionals. They need to prepare reports and give presentations. It is helpful to have good verbal and spoken communication skills.^{(See disclaimer 5)}

In addition, the following skills and characteristics are useful:^{(See disclaimer 5)}

• Critical thinking skills
• Investigative skills
• Attention to detail
• Research and analytical skills
• Collaboration and teamwork
• Strong communication skills

Additionally, criminal behavior analysts often use geo-mapping software, databases and other computer programs. Computer literacy skills are essential.^{(See disclaimer 5)}

Terms such as crime analyst, criminal analyst and criminal behavior analyst may be used interchangeably, and different law enforcement agencies may have their own terminology. In other words, the job descriptions of these professionals and the differences between them may vary depending on their employers.

In some cases, a criminal analyst may be the same as a crime analyst, or this professional may focus more on studying specific offenders or specific criminal networks.

Meanwhile, a criminal behavior analyst may also be called a criminal profiler. They study crime scene evidence and victimology to develop psychological profiles of suspects, helping to solve crimes. These professionals might have a bachelor’s degree in forensic psychology and similar credentials.^{(See disclaimer 6)}

A career in criminal analysis may be a good choice for you if you’re passionate about the work that law enforcement does, but aren’t interested in making policing your life’s work. Crime analysis can be appealing to those who enjoy solving problems, analyzing data and working with sophisticated computer programs.

If you still aren’t quite sure whether to take a closer look at how to become a crime analyst, consider exploring job shadowing and internship opportunities. Spending some time at your local law enforcement department and getting an inside look at how crime analysis works can help you determine if this career path could be the right choice for you.

Grand Canyon University offers a variety of bachelor’s and master’s degrees to help you grow your education. Apply for enrollment to the Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science degree program or explore your options in justice studies and government studies.