Crime Analysts

An internship during college is the best way to get a foot in the door and gain on-the-job experience. Most police and law enforcement units rely heavily on interns for support because of lean department budgets. Contact a unit and ask to speak with its crime analyst. You will have a better chance of obtaining an internship if you stress that you are organized, computer literate, and have a basic understanding of statistics. Interns often initially begin by reading police reports, learning how to glean significant facts and patterns from them.

Crime analysts are the kind of people who are interested in finding patterns, solving puzzles, and making connections. They must be able to pore over data and present their findings to police officers and law enforcement administrators. They are organized, good time managers, and strong communicators. Crime analysts are not the stars of the show, so they should be comfortable being behind the scenes, sitting at their desks, and finding information that could be integral to solving crimes. A background in criminal justice, statistics, writing, and computer skills are most necessary in the success of this job.