NCJ Number
245705
Date Published
March 2014
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This report discusses the value of crime analysts and cost-benefit analysis (CBA) for police executives.
Abstract
This report offers guidance for police executives grappling with these issues. CBA is a rigorous and systematic accounting of the pros and cons of a decision. The hallmark of CBA is that benefits and costs are both expressed in monetary terms, so that investments designed to achieve different outcomes can be compared. This paper offers guidance for police executives concerning the value of crime analysts, and whether CBA can help demonstrate a return on investment for these positions. This report provides information in three sections: the first section gives an overview of the steps involved in CBA and the challenges of using this technique; the second section reviews some of the inputs needed for conducting a CBA of a crime-analyst position, particularly in relation to costs and how crime analysis is carried out in your agency; and the third section, "Conducting a cost-benefit analysis," describes in greater detail the challenges of determining a crime analyst's impact, along with possible evaluation strategies. Appendix and endnote