City of Costa Mesa
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The mission of the Costa Mesa Police Department’s Crime Analysis Unit is to provide timely, accurate, informational support to line operations and investigators; to maintain an accurate crime and suspect database that facilitates quality analysis; and to produce and disseminate timely publications on crime series, patterns, trends, and offenders, which will lead to the identification, arrest, and successful prosecution of criminals. The Crime Analysis Unit consists of one civilian Crime Analyst, is under the Investigative Services Bureau, and supervised by the Property Crimes Sergeant.
The CMPD Crime Analysis Unit typically engages in the following types of crime analysis:
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Tactical - An analytical process that provides information used to assist operations personnel (patrol and investigative officers) in identifying specific and immediate crime trends, patterns, series, sprees and hotspots, providing investigative leads, and clearing cases. Analysis includes associating criminal activity by method of the crime, time, date, location, suspect, vehicle, and other types of information.
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Strategic - An analytical process concerned with long-range problems and projections of long-term increases or decreases in crime (crime trends). Strategic analysis also includes the preparation of crime statistical summaries, resource acquisition, and allocation studies.