Training: Option, Obstacle or Opportunity?
by Eugene Matthews
Recently a law enforcement intelligence analyst was offered a free training seat in an analytical
course...he declined. His reason wasn't due to a burgeoning work-load, cost of travel or even having
attended the training previously. His declination was surprising but more common than one might
think:
“I don't need the training; I've been doing this for years.”
The analyst supported his declination stating that he had attended a couple of courses in the late 1980's
and early 1990's. Techniques, technology and training evolve rapidly in the field of intelligence
analysis, and even more so in the area of law enforcement intelligence.
It’s been suggested that the law enforcement community should not be viewed as a competition, but
rather an opportunity for collaboration and constant improvement. If every law enforcement
professional would adopt the philosophy expressed by W.E.B Dubois, of “Lift as you climb”, learning
and advancing in this industry would be considerably enhanced. Training enhances this philosophy.
Understandably, in the area of law enforcement the basics of criminal behavior don't vary much; a thief
is still a thief and the wrongful taking of the property of another with the intent to permanently deprive
is still a crime. Similarly other offenses reported under the Uniformed Crime Report (UCR)i or
National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)ii are just as valid today as they were when they were
years ago.
The approach to solving or resolving such incidents has changed considerably over the years. Aside
from the legal ramifications involved in collecting information on U.S. Citizens without a law
enforcement nexus (connection to criminality, or an valid investigation) and departmental exposure,
there is the fact that the resources that may have been available “back in the day” are no longer as
plentiful as they once were. There was a time not too long ago where the law enforcement response to
residential burglaries was to “beat the street” looking for witnesses, or conduct surveillance of
numerous areas with dozens of officers in the hopes of catching the perpetrator(s). Anymore, few
organizations are resourced for such extended activities.
Pin-mapping was considered a good method for tracking crime...not preventing it. Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) were limited to the space agency and cartographers not cops. Computer
programs were also limited to report writing and occasionally Harvard Graphic presentations (some
analysts have never heard of software). Fortunately for the analytical discipline, times have changed.
Pin-mapping has been largely replaced by merging GIS and cartography into geographic profilingiii,
geospatial analysisiv and crime-mappingv. Computer hardware and applications have advanced
exponentially with technology and are no longer seen as described by more than one manager as a
fancy “electronic typewriter”. Understanding the basics of criminal behavior and blending the current
successful analytical investigative techniques with such knowledge is the surest recipe for success.
So where does one discover these advancements in the discipline of crime analysis? Training
conferences, training courses, professional publications and industry recognized professional
organizations such as the International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts
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(IALEIA)1, the International Association of Crime Analysts (IACA)2, and others. How does one
collaborate with, learn from and contact or maintain contact with other professionals in the field?
Information sharing venues such as Law Enforcement On-line (LEO)3, Law Enforcement Analysts
(Leananlyst)4, Cybercop5 and others.
If one expects to become or remain proficient in any field one must consider continuous training...there
truly is no other option for success. If one allows other distracters to supplant training and offer the
time tested excuses, “I don't have time for training...I'm busy” or “I had that training 'x' years ago” then
they are depriving themselves of the chance to learn something new or pass on information that they've
gained over the years. Some reasons for not attending training or conferences can be justified, but since
it is rare that an organization will 'force' their analysts to attend training, any reason not to go will
generally be accepted.
Recognize that there is some great free or very reasonably cost high quality training available for
analysts. In many cases the justification for the training is the more difficult consideration. Some valid
justifications for training include; professional development, continuing education, advanced
functionality (upgrades), meeting State, Local, or Tribal professional guidelines, or certifications. The
opportunities for training abound.
If there is no viable training in your area, consider reaching out to one of the many national or
international organizations and request training, many of whom offer training on-site. Pull out those
business cards and contact information you kept from the last conference you attended and give your
colleagues a call. There may be a collaborative effort or a grant that can be melded into a training
opportunity.
Whether training is considered an option, an obstacle or an opportunity rests largely on whether or not
the analyst wants to progress personally or professionally, or if they're comfortable where they are.
1 IALEIA is the largest professional organization in the world representing law enforcement analysts. Source
http://www.ialeia.org/
2 IACA was formed in 1990 to help crime analysts around the world improve their skills and make valuable contacts, to
help law enforcement agencies make the best use of crime analysis, and to advocate for standards of performance and
technique within the profession itself. We accomplish these goals through training, networking, and publications. Source
http://www.iaca.net/
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The Law Enforcement Online (LEO) system provides a secure backbone network that LEO members-including the Law Enforcement
Community, criminal justice officials, first responders, public safety officials, and members of the Intelligence and
Counterintelligence communities-can use to store, process, and transmit Sensitive But Unclassified information. Source
http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/leo.htm
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LEANALYST is an Internet e-mail mailing list devoted to issues concerning law enforcement and the analysis of crime. The primary
purpose of the LEANALYST mailing list is to provide a place where law enforcement employees (sworn and non-sworn), academia
(instructors and students), and businesses providing products or services to the law enforcement community can meet and exchange
information, methods, and ideas regarding the analysis of crime. We allow other law enforcement-related postings in order to
encourage a free flow of information regarding all manner of law enforcement concerns. Source http://www.leanalyst.info/
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The CyberCop Portal (https://cybercop.esportals.com) is the leader in bridging system stovepipes between organizations by providing
a separate means to collaborate over the web using the security controls necessary to handle sensitive but unclassified law
enforcement information. The CyberCop Portal created and hosted by The ESP Group, is entirely Web-based, meaning that no
additional software clients need to be downloaded onto users' machines. That allows CyberCop users to enter the portal from any
machine, anywhere.
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References and Sources :
i
The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program was conceived in 1929 by the International Association of
Chiefs of Police to meet a need for reliable, uniform crime statistics for the nation. In 1930, the FBI was
tasked with collecting, publishing, and archiving those statistics. Today, several annual statistical publications,
such as the comprehensive Crime in the United States, are produced from data provided by nearly 17,000
law enforcement agencies across the United States. Source http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm
ii
National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) is the Nation's primary source of information on criminal
victimization. Each year, data are obtained from a nationally representative sample of 77,200 households
comprising nearly 134,000 persons on the frequency, characteristics and consequences of criminal
victimization in the United States. The survey enables BJS to estimate the likelihood of victimization by rape,
sexual assault, robbery, assault, theft, household burglary, and motor vehicle theft for the population as a
whole as well as for segments of the population such as women, the elderly, members of various racial
groups, city dwellers, or other groups. The NCVS provides the largest national forum for victims to describe
the impact of crime and characteristics of violent offenders. Source http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/cvict.htm
iii Geographic profiling is an investigative methodology that uses the locations of a connected series of
crimes to determine the most probable area that an offender lives in. Sources
http://www.ncjrs.gov/html/nij/mapping/ch6_1.html and http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/maps/gp.htm
iv Geospatial analysis is a detailed study of information such as measurements, counts, and computations as
a function of geographical location. Source http://www.usgs.gov/science/science.php?term=472
v Much of crime mapping is devoted to detecting high-crime density areas known as hot spots. Hot spot
analysis helps police identify high-crime areas, types of crime being committed, and the best way to respond.
Source http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/maps/
About the author: Eugene Matthews is a retired U.S. Army CID Special Agent, and chief developer and architect
of the US Army Military Police School’s Criminal Intelligence training program, then called Criminal Antiterrorism
and Police Intelligence Management (CAPIM) course. He has authored and published several law enforcement
articles ranging from how to maximize the use of your Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), to how criminal
intelligence analysts can remain at the analytic best. His recently released The World Through the Eyes of a Cop
has been well received by the literary community. Mr. Matthews is currently a PhD candidate with Capella
University and a full time faculty member with Lincoln University, Missouri where he teaches criminal justice
courses, including a new course Law Enforcement Intelligence (LEI). Lincoln University has joined a collegiate
partnership with i2 Inc. and uses and trains Analyst Notebook™ 7 in the LEI course. If you have thoughts,
suggestions or questions, feel free to contact Mr. Matthews at [email protected]
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