Certified Law Enforcement Analyst Program (CLEA)

Welcome to the International Association of Crime Analysts CLEA information area.

Background

The IACA has developed criteria and an examination process that will allow applicants to become a Certified Law Enforcement Analyst (CLEA). A certification program provides the foundation on which a profession demarcates the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for successfully meeting the job duties and responsibilities within its given field. Crime analysis, intelligence analysis, investigative analysis, geographic profiling, police research and planning units and personnel all share a common skill set. In many cases, individual staff members are expected to provide this divergent analytical support to public safety agencies across the globe without formal training or instruction.

The IACA is committed to developing and administering a comprehensive training and credentialing program to provide analysts, as well as departments, both the framework for excellence and the mechanism for achieving it. The IACA encourages local associations, training programs, colleges and universities to build educational programs around this model, as well as encourages local, state, federal and provincial agencies to adopt these standards of excellence.

Purpose

The IACA believes that a diverse, well-rounded, multifaceted analyst makes for the most productive staff member. While every agency has specific, unique and ever-changing analytical needs, we believe that every analyst should possess a full understanding of the different techniques and methods used throughout the field. The IACA also values the divergent ways in which analysts learn and gain experience necessary for their jobs. The IACA has designed a certification program based on a point system that acknowledges work experience, demonstrable knowledge, skills and abilities, academic work, on-the-job training, and contributions to advancing the profession.

The IACA Certification Program is a result of the desire to reach the following six goals:

• To recognize the professional abilities and accomplishments of individual law enforcement analysts.
• To promote and encourage professional development by individuals in the field of law enforcement analysis.
• To provide the employers of law enforcement analysts a reliable measure of professional competence.
• To provide employers of law enforcement analysts with a basis on which to establish position descriptions.
• To promote the profession of law enforcement analysis to police chiefs, administrators and the entire criminal justice community.
• To better define law enforcement analysis as a legitimate and unique career.

Program Outline

The Program Outline is a downloadable PDF explaining the genesis and evolution of the Certified Law Enforcement Analyst program.

Skill Sets

The Certified Law Enforcement Analyst program is based on a collection of core skills that analysts are expected to possess. The Skill Sets guide describes each set in detail.

Becoming Certified

Any analyst wishing to become a Certified Law Enforcement Analyst must meet the following four prerequisites:

• The applicant must have at least three years of full-time experience as an analyst in the field of law enforcement, intelligence, corrections, or related fields,
• The applicant must have earned a minimum of 100 points in combined work and educational experience.
• The applicant must be a current member of the International Association of Crime Analysts, and
• The applicant must submit an application and supporting documentation to the Certification Committee

The first step to becoming certified is to make sure you meet the criteria above. If you have been an analyst for at least three years, you can review the point system on page 5 of the Program Outline to determine if you have accrued the minimum points needed to sit for the exam.

If you meet these requirements, you can begin collect your supporting documentation and verifying that your IACA membership is active.

Once you have assembled your documentation, you will need to complete the Exam Application and follow the instructions listed on the application to submit your packet for review.

Study Guide

The Certification Committee has developed a Certified Law Enforcement Analyst Study Guide to assist you in your preparation to take the exam.