Criminal intelligence analyst
Analyse data to spot patterns and networks of criminal activity – you'll then plan ways to tackle or prevent crime.
About the job
What it's like
In this role, you'll turn criminal intelligence into valuable insight! Criminal intelligence analysts help police officers and law-enforcement officials understand crime patterns, criminal networks and risks.
Your tasks might include:
collecting information from local, national and international computer systems
updating intelligence records in databases
using specialist software to analyse data
building up a picture of crime clusters in an area – this is known as problem profiling
monitoring the behaviour of suspicious individuals or groups – sometimes called targeted profiling
acting as a witness during court proceedings
Police forces and security agencies will use the information you've pulled together. It'll help them target individuals and their networks, tackle trends in particular crimes and understand how patterns of criminal activity link together. Your intelligence can also assist police forces as they plan initiatives that will reduce future offending.
Criminal intelligence analysts pull together data that helps managers plan how they'll use their resources. You’ll also make recommendations based on your analysis and the knowledge you’ve gained.
In this role, you'll foster relationships with people working across different departments within the police service and other agencies. You'll have access to a lot of confidential information, which means you'll need to understand and respect data security.
As a senior analyst, you may provide specialist advice and assess trends to help managers decide on future priorities. This is known as strategic assignment.
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
Government Communications HQ – explore this careers website from the UK Government agency that focuses on cyber intelligence gathering and national security
Secret Intelligence Service – learn about careers you could do within MI6
Security Service MI5 – discover MI5's Intelligence and Data Analyst Development Programme
Skills Development Scotland – check out this guide to cyber security qualifications in Scotland
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- analysing
- time management
- sorting
- filtering
- attention to detail
- researching
- problem solving
- working with technology
- verbal communication
- cooperating
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
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Computing Science
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Modern Studies
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Politics
There are a few ways you can get into this role. The route you take will depend on the police service or government department you want to work for.
You'll need qualifications or experience that show you have skills in online research, investigations, computing and data protection.
Let's explore all the pathways available to you.
University
A degree may be helpful for getting into this job. You could study subjects, such as:
Computing
Mathematics
Mathematics and Statistics
Social Science
Psychology
Criminology
Forensic Science
Criminal Justice
Data Science
Use the My World of Work course search to find degrees.
Work
Criminal intelligence analysts can start in related roles within the security services. For example, many people move into this job after spending time as a researcher or language specialist. You could then join an intelligence officer training programme within your organisation.
If you work for the police, you could apply to become a criminal intelligence officer within your force.
You can use the My World of Work job search to browse a range of vacancies.
Other routes
Have you got a degree or relevant work experience? If so, you could apply for MI5's Intelligence and Data Analyst Development Programme.
You'll also find opportunities through the Civil Service Fast Stream and the National Crime Agency.
As part of the process, you'll need to be ready to answer questions about your personal life, relationships, family and finances.
It's useful to have an understanding of law enforcement organisations and the National Intelligence Model (NIM).
Summer internship schemes and student placements are a good way to find out more about the job and the recruitment process.
In more specialist roles, you might find it helpful to be able to speak a different language.
The application for criminal intelligence analyst roles will include some background checks.
You'll probably have to prove that you are over 18 years old, a British citizen and have lived in the United Kingdom for at least 10 years.
Criminal intelligence analysts may need a full driving licence and use of a vehicle for some jobs.
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