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Crime Analysts

History

Crime has always been a major social problem, especially in heavily populated areas. Police and other law enforcement officials work to detect and apprehend criminals and protect citizens from robbery, violence, and other criminal acts. They are assisted by crime analysts—civilian workers who are hired to study crime statistics and patterns in order to give law enforcement officials an extra edge in fighting crime.

The earliest crime analysts simply analyzed raw crime statistics. Today, crime analysts use software, databases, and geographic information systems to predict and even prevent crimes. In recent years, crime analysis has become a popular career choice. This new technology and the emergence of community-oriented policing—which puts officers on the streets as opposed to behind a desk—have created many new opportunities for trained crime analysts.