Click on the following links. Please note these will open in a new window.

Exercise 1

https://ric-zai-inc.com/Publications/cops-p208-pub.pdf
(“A Police Organizational Model for Crime Reduction: Institutionalizing Problem Solving, Analysis, and Accountability”)

Using this article, discuss the need for and uses of this type of publication.   How would different consumers of this publication utilize the information contained within the document?  Speak in terms of researchers versus practitioners, and within practitioners, speak to command / executive staff in contrast to field personnel.

Exercise 2

https://authorjenniferchase.com/2011/06/22/offender%E2%80%99s-signature-vs-modus-operandi/

Analysts and students often confuse modus operandi (MO) and signature.  Read the short summary and comparison/contrast of the two terms and review the examples given for each term.   Respond to the question as to how each of these assists crime analysts in their work – specifically how they help us break down, classify and understand the elements of a crime incident as well as how we can leverage this information to study repeat incidents.

Exercise 3

http://mason.gmu.edu/~atabarro/Crime%20Data%20Review%203.doc

In this paper, the major crime data sources are identified and brief descriptions are provided.  For each source, the authors highlight the types of data that are available in each source, how the data can be accessed and how it has been and can be used, as well as pointing out the limitations of the data and its uses.  First, review the entire article (39 pages, including references).  Next, choose one of the data sources (e.g. Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), National Incident-Based Reporting Systems (NIBRS), etc.), locate the primary (official) website for the data to explore the data source in more depth.  Identify and describe at least three (3) additional pieces of information you discovered by visiting the official website and how that information would be useful to an analyst.