Pattern Analysis for Law Enforcement

Pattern Analysis for Law Enforcement Analysts is a 12-week online course that focuses on identifying, analyzing, and interpreting crime patterns to support law enforcement operations. This course teaches analysts how to move beyond basic data review to systematically detect patterns, assess their significance, and develop actionable intelligence that supports tactical and strategic decision-making.

Topics covered include types of crime patterns (series, sprees, hot spots, and trends), pattern identification and validation, linking incidents through common characteristics, temporal and spatial analysis, use of data and intelligence sources, and effective communication of pattern findings to support investigations and resource deployment.

Instructor: Dawn Reeby

At a Glance

Upcoming Sessions

Select the session that works best for your schedule. Once a session has passed or is already in progress, registration is disabled.

Note: availability labels are updated manually as seats fill. If a session does not appear on the registration form, it should be treated as sold out.

Class Format

This is an intermediate course. Students are suggested to have 2-3 years of experience OR to have successfully completed the Fundamentals of Crime Analysis course. You will need an understanding of basic crime analysis principles as well as a basic understanding of Microsoft Excel.

Students should expect a time commitment of 3-5 hours per week to gain a passing grade. The course is graded as pass/fail. This class follows a weekly-structured online format, meaning the class advances through each topic together week by week.

Students can log in whenever it fits their schedule, and there are no live sessions. Participation throughout the course is required for a passing grade. As a rule, bulk submissions during the last week of class are not accepted unless prior authorization has been granted by the instructor.

Invitations to the learning platform are sent the week before class begins.

Course Outline

This course is organized into 12 weekly modules that guide students through the core concepts and applications of administrative and strategic crime analysis.

Ready to Enroll?

Choose an upcoming session and complete your registration. If a session fills, students may contact [email protected] to ask about availability or future offerings. See the Training Policies page for information on transfers, participation rules, and refunds.