Abstract
This chapter examines the third ‘organisational characteristic of law enforcement agencies’, IT software, systems and training, and the impact it can have on the ability of analysts to apply social network analysis (SNA) to criminal networks in operational environments. The chapter begins by examining the IT software and systems available to intelligence analysts and how it can help with and hinder their ability to apply SNA. The chapter concludes by examining the training that is available to analysts and what impact it has on the application of SNA.
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Notes
- 1.
MapInfo is a geographical information system software (Bowes 2017).
- 2.
Database 1 is used as this organisation’s primary criminal record management database.
- 3.
SAS (formerly Statistical Analysis System) is a software that can analyse data in a variety of ways, including multivariate analysis and Bayesian (probability) analysis (SAS 2017).
- 4.
Database 2 is an ‘intelligence database’ (Analyst No. 3).
- 5.
According to Carter (2009, p. 112), subject matter expertise includes ‘understanding the motives, methods, targets, and/or commodities of criminal intelligence targets. Intelligence researchers and analysts must have subject matter knowledge of the types of enterprises that are being investigated and the context within which these enterprises occur.’
- 6.
‘General duties’ refers to front-line police work, such as traffic patrols. These positions are not available to unsworn personnel.
- 7.
This issue was discussed with the interviewee after the interview recording had stopped. Permission was sought to cite this conversation via email. Instead the interviewee supplied this quote with permission for it to be used.
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Burcher, M. (2020). Social Network Analysis and the Organisational Characteristics of Law Enforcement Agencies: IT Software, Systems and Training. In: Social Network Analysis and Law Enforcement. Crime Prevention and Security Management. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47771-4_7
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