Crime analysis is made up of five stages: data collection, collation, analysis, dissemination, and the receipt of feedback. Trying to determine which stage is most important is a very subjective process since every step is critical in crime analysis. Failure to complete any of the five stages can lead to incomplete, inaccurate, or misleading conclusions. However, from the most objective of perspectives, it can be concluded that data collection represents the most important stage in crime analysis. The main rationale behind this reasoning is that the rest of the steps are solely dependent on the accuracy of data collection. Hence, if data collection is done poorly, the rest of the stages will be useless in spite of how well they may be handled. In short, it is a case of “garbage in garbage out”.
Data collection involves collecting data from various sources such as police reports, field interview reports, U.S. Census data, the Internet, newspapers, housing authorities, and many other probable sources of information. In a typical crime analysis, the accuracy and integrity of data collected directly impact the success of the process. For instance, when conducting a crime analysis into a mysterious homicide case, the data collection process is of utmost importance. The data collected has to be as comprehensive and accurate as possible before it can even be collated. Collection of wrong data spirals into a wrong collation, analysis, dissemination, and feedback. It is not rare to find a person being released from jail after many years following a wrongful conviction. For example, Richard Rosario was freed in March 2016 after spending 20 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. This case can be attributed to wrong data collection which resulted in an inaccurate crime analysis. Hence, data collection should be handled with utmost care and professionalism.
References
Kochman, B. (2016). Richard Rosario, who spent 20 years in prison for Bronx murder he swears didn't commit, is freed: 'I didn't deserve this, nor did the family of the victim'. Retrieved from: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bronx/man-swears-innocence-bx-slay-freed-20-years-article-1.2575087.
Orsborne, D., & Wernicke, S. (2013). Introduction to Crime Analysis: Basic Resources for Criminal Justice Practice. London: Routledge.
