Resources on Crime Analysis

You can order the publications and CDs listed below by calling the COPS Response Center at 1-800-421-6770 or by using the COPS Publications Request Form. Many publications can also be read online or downloaded. 

Geography & Public Safety Bulletin
The National Institute of Justice, together with the COPS Office, publishes (both in print and online) a quarterly bulletin on geography and public safety. The Geography & Public Safety Bulletin covers topics such as mapping, problem analysis, and the geography of crime.

Articles in G&PS are geared toward practitioners in law enforcement and criminal justice agencies. They cover current and innovative topics in spatial analysis of crime. The December 2009 issue of G&PS , for example, examines the concept of "neighborhood" from several perspectives relevant to community policing.

You can subscribe online to the Geography & Public Safety Bulletin.

Crime Analysis, General

Integrated Intelligence and Crime Analysis (2009)

Crime Analysis and Crime Mapping Information Clearinghouse 8th Edition (2003)

Crime Analysis in America: Findings and Recommendations (2003)

Crime Analysis for Problem Solving

Analyzing Crime Displacement and Diffusion (2009)

Enhancing the Problem Solving Capacity of Crime Analysis Units (2008)

Using Crime Prevention through Environmental Design in Problem Solving (2007)

How To Correctly Collect and Analyze Racial Profiling Data: Your Reputation Depends on It (2006)

Using Analysis for Problem Solving (2006)

Analyzing Repeat Victimization (2005)

Crime Analysis for Problem Solvers in 60 Small Steps (2005)

Assessing Responses to Problems: An Introductory Guide for Police Problem Solvers (2004)

Crime Mapping

Mapping for Community Based Prisoner Reentry (2007)

Users' Guide to Mapping Software 6th Edition (2004)

Frequently Asked Questions of Crime Analysis and Mapping (2001)

Manual of Crime Analysis Map Production (2001)

Geocoding in Law Enforcement, Final Report (2000)

Guidelines to Implement and Evaluate Crime Analysis and Crime Mapping (2000)

Integrating Community Policing and Computer Mapping (2000)

Training and Technical Assistance

• The International Association of Crime Analysts provides an online listing of available trainings. Please click on the "IACA Training Series" link or the "Non-IACA Training" link at the IACA web site.
• The Crime Mapping and Analysis Program (CMAP) offers a free one-week introductory course as well as courses in more advanced crime analysis applications. Visit the CMAP site for more information.
• The annual Inter-University Consortium of Political and Social Research Summer Program in Quantitative Methods at the University of Michigan is a comprehensive, integrated program of studies in research design, statistics, data analysis, and spatial data analysis. Visit the consortium's web site for more information.

Additional Resources

International Association of Crime Analysts
IACA assists crime analysts by providing valuable information, a yearly conference, and managing a listserv.  It also offers crime analysts professional development via certification through examination. Upon passing the examination, the crime analyst will become a Certified Law Enforcement Analyst (CLEA). The IACA also offers a professional training series, which includes five-day modules covering: Fundamentals of Crime Analysis, Tactical Crime Analysis, Problem Analysis, Computer Applications for Crime Mapping, and Crime Mapping.

You can also visit the IACA web site to locate regional associations that serve crime analysts.

National Institute of Justice: Mapping and Analysis for Public Safety (MAPS)

The MAPS program provides research in spatial data analysis, mapping and analysis used for evaluation programs and policies. It also holds an annual conference. The MAPS web site also provides links to various free crime mapping software, such as Crime Stat and FacilityCop.

The MAPS program and the COPS Office together publish the Geography and Public Safety Bulletin, available both in print and online.