Your work products will be viewed by a variety of people – from investigators and administrators to city council members and everyday citizens. Therefore, it is very important to know how to take your data and tailor it to a specific audience. For example, certain aspects of an investigation are strictly confidential and should not be released to the media or general public – doing so could skew an entire case. Make sure to go over your agency’s guidelines before releasing anything to the public.
With this in mind remember what you write, is what they'll hear so it is crucial that your writing skills are articulate and sharp. Never leave your audience guessing. Oftentimes a crime analyst will have to write up police reports and community alerts with minimal information at their disposal. The more direct and to the point your bulletin is, the more likely it will be read by police officers. They WANT you to get to the point and lay it out in a format that is easy for them to refer to if they use it as a reference point. When it comes to a community alert make sure to identify what key pieces of information are NOT for public eyes.
As a crime analyst, you will be expected to know how to use a word processor, spreadsheet and presentation software. If you are unfamiliar with any of these systems, it would be beneficial to sign up for a course so you can be a valuable asset to your agency. Don’t be afraid to ask for training; your agency will likely want you as well versed as possible in all available tools.
* After completing this unit, you should be able to explain how information from incidents is used in crime analysis publications and effectively communicate events of an incident to different audiences using crime analysis publications. You will also have the skills to illustrate the importance of disseminating information appropriately depending on audience and know how to choose appropriate software applications for crime analysis publications.