Crime Analyst Darcy Purvis

Within a police department there are many different positions and duties an individual may have. Usually when someone thinks of a police department they instantly picture a police officer, but a department branches off into different sworn and non-sworn employees that help deter crime and keep the community safe. A crime analyst is one important component in a department because they provide the officers with statistics on when, where, and what crimes are occurring within the city. I conducted a face to face interview with crime analyst Darcy Purvis; Purvis and I engaged in short, but informative interview that provided me with detailed facts about what it is like to be in the shoes of a crime analyst in the city of Irvine. Analyst Purvis is currently employed by the Irvine police department, and is the senior crime analyst. Before she got to where she is now Purvis informed me of the stressful, but worthwhile journey she encountered. Purvis told me that getting an education is the key to a successful life and career, which is why she feels accomplished about everything she is now and will become. Within Purvis educational life she has graduated with a

The crime analyst unit uses the UCR to report their data. Currently the department does not use NIBRS, but Purvis stated that by 2020 every department is required to start using NIBIRS to report crimes. I asked Purvis if they use VICAP to report violent offenders, she said they do, but the detectives handle that. The crime analyst unit also uses both quantitative and qualitative to conduct data because they need to put as much information as possible, such as using maps with numbers and words used to identify crime trends. The department also uses strategic, operational, intelligence and administrative techniques to Intel offender specifics. Some soft wares used are: ARC map, ESRI map, CAD, RMS, cellphone soft wares, and