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Crime Analysts


Overview

Crime Analysts

Introduction

Crime analysts analyze patterns in criminal behavior in order to catch criminals, predict patterns and motives of criminals (and even prevent crime), and improve the responsiveness of law enforcement agencies. Most crime analysts are civilians, but others are police officers in temporary or permanent assignments.

Quick Facts


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Median Salary

$55,000

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Employment Prospects

Good

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Minimum Education Level

Bachelor's Degree


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Experience

Internship


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Skills

Computer
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Personality Traits

Curious
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Earnings

Earnings for crime analysts vary considerably, based on factors such as the location, the size of the employing agency and its financial status, and the analyst's experience. The employment Web site PayScale.com reports that salaries for crime analysts in 2018 ranged from $34,000 to $71,000, with median average salaries of about $46,665.

Most crime analysts are civilians, but others are ...

Work Environment

The duties of crime analysts vary based on the requirements of the law enforcement agency they work for. Analysts ordinarily work in the office analyzing crime information; occasionally, though, they may go on a "ride-along" with police officers or visit a crime scene to gather more information. Crime scenes can often be disturbing, and crime analysts need to act in a professional manner in the...

Outlook

As the career of the crime analyst becomes increasingly well known and as analysts' work continues to contribute to positive results for law enforcement agencies, the need for these professionals should grow.

One factor that has added to the need for crime analysts is the emergence of community-oriented policing. The point of this type of policing is to get police officers out on the str...