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What does a crime analyst do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read

A crime analyst specializes in gathering and processing data to help law enforcement solve and prevent crimes. They prioritize accurate and sufficient data collection, which is why they visit crime scenes to collect pieces of evidence such as DNA and photographs according to a set of protocols. They must also conduct interviews with witnesses, possible suspects, first responders, and other law enforcement officers. Through the evidence gathered, a crime analyst produces detailed results and reports that will help police officers and detectives to navigate through the cases.

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Crime analyst responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real crime analyst resumes:

  • Manage project team meetings using SharePoint calendars.
  • Combine SIGINT, IMINT, & HUMINT collections to develop trends and analysis of high value targets.
  • Analyze crime patterns and crime trends to show what areas need additional patrol.
  • Draft and serve subpoenas, search warrants, arrest warrants, and other court orders in support of criminal investigations.
  • Conduct research and on-the-Job training on the intricacies of METOC and Intel for GEOINT, SIGNT, and HUMINT mission support.
  • Perform task lead functions in support of NTM initialization.
  • Pull SQL reports daily to update database with current data.
  • Work closely with reserve, DoD civilians, and contractor personnel.
  • Document crimes scenes through note-taking, photography, diagramming, and detail reports.
  • Subject matter expert (SME) for weapons counter-proliferation (WMD) issues.
  • Charge with preparing and serving warrants, subpoenas and search warrants following approval processes.
  • Review incoming client files (on-boarding, refresh, and escalations) for AML suitability.
  • Utilize GIS mapping software when appropriate, as well as a variety of other software.
  • Used ArcGIS mapping of events re-cover from the CAD/RMS system in support of all departmental divisions.
  • Conduct follow-up investigations and make appropriate changes to classifications in accordance with the NYC compstat procedures.

Crime analyst skills and personality traits

We calculated that 8% of Crime Analysts are proficient in Criminal Justice, AML, and Patrol. They’re also known for soft skills such as Empathy, Good judgment, and Leadership skills.

We break down the percentage of Crime Analysts that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Criminal Justice, 8%

    Obtained NCIC Certification for criminal justice professionals to apprehend fugitives, locate missing persons and recover stolen property.

  • AML, 6%

    Prepare recommendations to compliance management and business outlining any potential AML risks uncovered in the research.

  • Patrol, 6%

    Analyzed manpower allocation using Patrol Software.

  • Crime Analysis, 6%

    Study current literature on research methodology and police issues, and make appropriate recommendations for improvements in crime analysis practices.

  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 5%

    Develop and maintain sources of information for obtaining public information and information from other law enforcement agencies.

  • Data Analysis, 4%

    Managed project development and data analysis for the Indianapolis Police Department.

"criminal justice," "aml," and "patrol" are among the most common skills that crime analysts use at work. You can find even more crime analyst responsibilities below, including:

Empathy. The most essential soft skill for a crime analyst to carry out their responsibilities is empathy. This skill is important for the role because "police officers need to understand the perspectives of a variety of people in their jurisdiction and be willing to help the public." Additionally, a crime analyst resume shows how their duties depend on empathy: "conducted modeling analysis and economic feasibility for real estate to include default risk analysis and pricing sensitivity. "

Good judgment. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling crime analyst duties is good judgment. The role rewards competence in this skill because "police and detectives must be able to determine the best way to solve an array of problems." According to a crime analyst resume, here's how crime analysts can utilize good judgment in their job responsibilities: "write clear and persuasive credit opinions and press releases based on analytical conclusions and sound business judgment. "

Leadership skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of crime analysts is leadership skills. This skill is critical to many everyday crime analyst duties, as "police officers must be comfortable with being a highly visible member of their community, as the public looks to them for help in emergencies." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "assist execution of content priorities supporting the respective community knowledge program portfolio identified with practice and ey knowledge leadership. "

Physical strength. For certain crime analyst responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "physical strength." The day-to-day duties of a crime analyst rely on this skill, as "police officers must be strong enough to physically apprehend suspects and to assist people in precarious situations." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what crime analysts do: "develop, collect and preserve latent finger and palm prints using a variety of physical and chemical procedures. "

Communication skills. A commonly-found skill in crime analyst job descriptions, "communication skills" is essential to what crime analysts do. Crime analyst responsibilities rely on this skill because "police and detectives must be able to speak with people and to express details in writing about an incident." You can also see how crime analyst duties rely on communication skills in this resume example: "supervised and trained department communication specialists, assessed crime trends, and utilized statistical modeling to enhance policing programs. "

See the full list of crime analyst skills

The three companies that hire the most crime analysts are:

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Compare different crime analysts

Crime analyst vs. Detention officer

The role of detention officers is to supervise inmates in state detention facilities. They are responsible for ensuring the safe imprisonment of detainees, managing conflict between detainees, and reporting inappropriate behavior to the warden. Other responsibilities include providing inmates the opportunity to call a lawyer or a relative, performing periodic patrol of the jail area, and supervising inmates during meals and related activities. They are also responsible for ensuring the cleanliness of personal and cell equipment and distributing medicines to inmates as directed.

If we compare the average crime analyst annual salary with that of a detention officer, we find that detention officers typically earn a $20,166 lower salary than crime analysts make annually.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, crime analyst responsibilities require skills like "criminal justice," "aml," "patrol," and "crime analysis." Meanwhile a typical detention officer has skills in areas such as "detention facility," "direct supervision," "booking," and "law enforcement." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Detention officers really shine in the insurance industry with an average salary of $47,693. Comparatively, crime analysts tend to make the most money in the government industry with an average salary of $67,122.On average, detention officers reach lower levels of education than crime analysts. Detention officers are 10.9% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Crime analyst vs. Detective

A detective is responsible for conducting in-depth investigations for criminal activities, potential threats, and other law-violating incidents, coordinating closely with law-enforcement agencies and crime intelligence analysts. Detectives often work on the field, gathering data and related evidence to support claims and connect the timeline of events. They keep an organized record of their findings for further validation before reporting it to the authority. A detective must have excellent investigative and critical-thinking skills, especially on solving puzzles and security solutions.

Detective positions earn lower pay than crime analyst roles. They earn a $2,269 lower salary than crime analysts per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both crime analysts and detectives have skills such as "patrol," "law enforcement agencies," and "management system. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real crime analyst resumes. While crime analyst responsibilities can utilize skills like "criminal justice," "aml," "crime analysis," and "data analysis," detectives use skills like "physical evidence," "crime scenes," "insurance fraud," and "public safety."

Detectives earn lower levels of education than crime analysts in general. They're 6.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Crime analyst vs. Deputy

The duties of a deputy vary on their line of work or place of employment. In law enforcement, a deputy is primarily in charge of conducting investigations on crimes and arresting criminals, performing regular patrols on streets, responding to calls of distress, and assisting citizens in calamities, disasters, accidents, or any forms of threat. There are also instances when a deputy must serve court documents, transport detainees or suspected criminals, and monitor courtrooms. Furthermore, a deputy reports to higher-ranking officers such as a sheriff.

On average scale, deputies bring in lower salaries than crime analysts. In fact, they earn a $6,571 lower salary per year.By looking over several crime analysts and deputies resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "patrol," "law enforcement agencies," and "anti-money laundering." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, crime analysts are more likely to have skills like "criminal justice," "aml," "crime analysis," and "data analysis." But a deputy is more likely to have skills like "public safety," "transport inmates," "emergency situations," and "cpr."

Deputies earn the best pay in the manufacturing industry, where they command an average salary of $53,877. Crime analysts earn the highest pay from the government industry, with an average salary of $67,122.deputies typically earn similar educational levels compared to crime analysts. Specifically, they're 1.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Crime analyst vs. Police officer

Police officers are responsible for keeping peace and security in a community. They uphold and enforce the law. They ensure that people in their assigned community follow the law. They also ensure that proper sanctions are given out to anyone who does not follow. Some police officers are assigned in the field, meaning they work outside of police stations. Those assigned to police stations are responsible for maintaining administrative matters as well, aside from maintaining peace and order. Police officers are expected to be trustworthy, to work with honor, and to keep their integrity intact.

Police officers average a lower salary than the annual salary of crime analysts. The difference is about $7,615 per year.While both crime analysts and police officers complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like criminal justice, patrol, and law enforcement agencies, the two careers vary in some skills.

Even though a few skill sets overlap between crime analysts and police officers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a crime analyst might have more use for skills like "aml," "crime analysis," "data analysis," and "anti-money laundering." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of police officers require skills like "public safety," "emergency situations," "field training," and "cpr. "

In general, police officers earn the most working in the government industry, with an average salary of $53,822. The highest-paying industry for a crime analyst is the government industry.The average resume of police officers showed that they earn lower levels of education compared to crime analysts. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 8.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.9%.

Types of crime analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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