ABSTRACT
A crime analyst’s effort is what creates information, whether that information is “built” or “mined.” A metaphor that works well is to see the analyst as a sculptor. Some sculptures are created by combining and molding pieces of clay, much as an analyst creates information by combining pieces of data. As we learned in Chapter 5, intelligence is the information that is the lifeblood of good police work. The detection and investigation of crime, along with the pursuit and apprehension of criminals, require reliable intelligence. Without reliable intelligence, the investigator is limited and the chances of a successful investigation are diminished. Today, we use computers to access information rapidly and efficiently. With the availability of millions of pieces of information through stored computer files and various databases, intelligence analysts and tactical crime analysts can access valuable, and often essential, information—information that can play a critical role in helping to solve crimes. In this chapter, we discuss how intelligence is gathered to assist investigators in the solution of crimes. It is important for intelligence analysts and tactical crime analysts to have a mastery of how a criminal investigation proceeds in order to be in the best position to provide the kind of intelligence investigators need to close cases.
The chapter lists the qualities that successful investigators should process. These qualities include having a strong degree of self-discipline, ethical and moral standards leading to using legally approved methods, having the ability to win the confidence of others, and not acting out of malice or bias.
