Friday, January 30, 2009

California crime analysts

I have been in California for a couple of days, hence the light blogging this week. Two groups asked me to come out and teach seminars, the Bay Area Crime and Intelligence Analyst Association, and the Northern Valley Crime and Intelligence Analysts Association. They were willing to pay my expenses, and I was willing to help out, so we figured a way to do this on two back-to-back days in order to minimize their cost and my out-of-office time. Day one was in Emeryville on San Fransisco bay, and day two was in Sacramento.

It was a nice respite from Nebraska’s January weather, and it felt to me like the attendees all got at least a couple of good ideas to take back to their home departments. I got a few good ideas from the participants, too. In policing, where most officers work their entire career at the same agency, there is a real risk of stagnation. We often lack the infusion of new ideas that occurs naturally in other occupations with the coming and going of staff. Rubbing shoulders with colleagues from other agencies is particularly valuable for police personnel, and I am grateful for the occasional opportunity. It has certainly helped me be a more effective chief.

The first session was hosted at the Emeryville Police Department, right on the bay and with a splendid view. I encountered a crime analyst in the audience with a strong Lincoln connection. Andrea, a bay area native, introduced herself and told me that she was a 2003 University of Nebraska graduate—in the same program from which I took my degree 33 years ago. She ended up in Lincoln for college through a family friendship with a Lincoln physician. Andrea had some vivid memories of January on the UNL campus. She returned to California for graduate school, and is now a crime analyst at the Oakland Police Department

Andrea is part of a new cohort of crime analysts that are entering the field: women and men who have professionally prepared for analytical work. The vast majority of working crime analysts today learned on the job by doing. They are often converted from records technicians, dispatchers, administrative staffers, and police officers. This isn’t to diminish their skills in any way: their job experiences have often enriched their understanding of the context immensely. We are beginning, though, to see more analysts who have prepared through their formal education for the work at hand. I think as they join the field and are mentored by the seasoned analysts who have learned the ropes, they will be well-positioned to advance the boundaries of crime analysis.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Did you try walking over to the shore with a fishing pole? The temptation would have been overwhelming (but maybe that's just me). You never know what you might catch. I think the marina might have gear for rental.

Anonymous said...

Speaking of crime analysts... I just caught this one the other day, and knew it would lend itself to your GIS'ification of crime!

Ever anything used like this in Lincoln?

SO many tools to use now, I'm sure!

Tom Casady said...

7:23-

Oh, like everyone else, our officers have made occasional use of Google Earth. The aerial photos Google uses in our neck of the woods, though, are pretty dated--I think about 2003. Our internal mapping applications (like CrimeView Community) use a set shot at better resolution in 2007. Microsoft's maps.live application has pretty recent photos, too. Bird's Eye view in maps.live can be quite useful for certain police applications, like planning operations, as can Google's StreetView.

Anonymous said...

Did anyone mention if the Emeryville PD has a lot of incident action at those trendy-looking (but poorly-managed) Watergate Apartments just across the road? From the tenant reviews, the complex is like a dead herring in the moonlight (it shines - but it stinks).

Anonymous said...

cali is lovely this time of year...I was wondering if you can give some statistics on late night crime for local skate centers...I see A and R hosts 130 am til 3am events with local promotors...at 10.00 at the door and 300 plus events.. does the IRS get appropriate form 10 reports from the skate center and the promotion companies...as well are the legitimate companies operating with legal tax ID numbers since they are in fact a business making money...isn't it time for tax's to be paid on such income made nightly, weekly, monthly, or per event.... since the local economy is ina 800 plus bilion bailout.....also are there any issues with ongoing late night crimes at these events.... had seen them on mysapce and facebook but not familiar with the 2009 local city practices on late night events...thanks chief..

your friend..

Tom Casady said...

2:22-

Haven't seen any uptick in problems at that location lately. There were about a dozen calls last year, but it's a little hard to tell which ones were related to the bar next door in some cases. Nothing serious among them. Three cases where parents did not arrive to pick up kids.

Regarding the reporting of income from events: I don't know. Like you, I always have suspicions when a cash transaction is taking place with a promoter. Obviously, the promoter must report the income, and the facility owner (if he gets a cut) must report his income as well.

car54 said...

8:11

Maybe this fellows could have helped him with the catch

Anonymous said...

February 2, 2009 2:22 AM
You hit this right on the dot!
It is called TAX AND SPEND
It is NO bail out. It is a way to put our children in debt.
That's all