Features Off the Shelf
Crime and Intelligence Analysis in Canada: An Introduction

By Daniel M. Schwartz and Ian Williams

ISBN: 978-1-77255-790-9 

Crime and intelligence analysts and students in this field finally have a new, all-Canadian book to call their own, and it’s probably unlike any you’ve read before. Unlike the books most of us may recall from our own studies, this one finds a way to bridge the gap between the academic and the applied aspects of professional crime and intelligence analysis, in both the public and private sectors.

The authors describe the book as a “training resource that aims to further the professionalization of crime and intelligence analysis in Canada.” I’d say they are selling themselves short, as this book is much more: it’s a very valuable resource for anyone who works with, supervises, or employs a professional practitioner of crime and intelligence analysis. While reading it, on more than one occasion I found myself thinking: Do we do this in our department? Should we be trying that? And even: We must start doing that here.

For anyone who employs an analyst, the opening four chapters are must-reads, as the authors provide an overview of the Canadian contextual framework of an analyst’s work in a very comprehensive but digestible way.

The extensive use of tables, figures, and maps goes a long way in helping one absorb the content in this book.

Take the time to pick up this book—you may be amazed at how much you didn’t know about the topic, and you’ll see the value that trained analysts can bring to any law enforcement organization. This book will find its way onto my bookshelf, and into the offices of our service’s crime and intelligence analysts.

– Stuart Betts, Deputy Chief, London Police Service