Crime Pattern Analysis-Professional
Certification Program

 

What is the CPA-P Certification?
In late 2019, FCIAA began designing a series of professional certification courses for law enforcement analysts. The Association recognizes that there are many certification programs currently out there, including the Florida general certification through FDLE, the international exam-based certifications through IACA and IALEIA, and the Alpha Group series. However, FCIAA also recognizes that some analysts may not hold the required experience to obtain one of those certifications, or they are seeking a more specialized certification -- that's where we come in. The Crime Pattern Analysis-Professional (CPA-P) certification program is designed for analysts (young and old, novice and experienced) who wish to hone their skills on general crime analysis, successful pattern identification, ethical concerns/rules of conduct, professional crime analysis product creation, and what to expect when presenting a product in court.
What is Involved?
The certification program is a multi-step process, normally consisting of three separate classes: the Crime Pattern Analysis-Fundamentalist (CPAF) course, the Crime Pattern Analysis-Specialist (CPAS) course, and the Crime Pattern Analysis-Expert (CPAE) course. Each course will include a quiz or final project. After successful completion of all courses (40 hours total), you may apply for certification, at which time the Certification Committee will review your coursework from all three courses, including exams and final projects.
What if I'm experienced?
At the start of the course, we offered a "test-out" option to those who possessed at least four years of experience working directly in crime analysis at a law enforcement agency. The opt-out test was only available for the basic course (CPAF) and consisted of 50 questions. At this time, the Certification Committee has halted the test-out option while we review accredidation requirements for the program. Regardless of test-out status, we strongly urge you to take all courses if you are interested in this program.

 

REQUIREMENTS TO ATTEND THE COURSES

There are no minimum experience requirements to attend the courses and seek certification, except that you must either 1) work in an analyst capacity at a law enforcement agency, or 2) be currently enrolled in college courses at an accredited institution, seeking a degree specialized in crime analysis, or a degree in criminal justice (or related) with a career plan of being a law enforcement analyst. If you do not fall into one of those two categories, review the information contained within the popup by clicking the button below this paragraph. Please note that courses are required to be completed in order. Therefore, you must take and successfully pass the CPAF course to gain access to the CPAS course, then successfully pass the CPAS course to gain access to the CPAE course. ALL COURSES ARE ON-SITE.

Don't meet requirements?
Honorary Attendee: If you don't meet the professional or college requirements above, there is still a chance you may be able to attend. If you have a desire to become a crime analyst and have not been able to get a job in the field due to lack of experience or formal education, we invite you to submit to attend as an Honorary Attendee. You will need to submit a 500 - 750-word essay (roughly 1 to 1-1/2 pages) on the topic, "The Importance of Crime Analysis to Law Enforcement and Why I Want to be a Crime Analyst." Essays should be accompanied by your contact information, to include an email address and phone number where you can be reached. You'll also need to provide a short 100 - 150-word self-biography. Note - not all honorary attendee applicants will be accepted, and you may be placed on a waiting list for a future course. Working analysts receive seating priority, followed by academic members. Please submit all required information to the Certification Committee via email: Certification@fciaa.org

 

EXAM REQUIREMENTS

A minimum score of 80% is required on each course's final test. If you fail the test and are within 5 points of the required minimum (at least 75%), you will be allowed one free retake. If you fail the test twice (initial and retake), the Committee will review results on a case-by-case basis and you may be asked for supplemental written responses. If both the original and re-take exams are below the passing percentile and the Committee determines you do not comprehend the material on a practitioner level, you will be required to retake the entire course at full price. Unless otherwise specified, due dates for exams are within 30 DAYS of the course completion date. On some occasions, courses may be held as multi-day events (back-to-back); in such cases, exams must for lower courses must be completed after class before entry into higher level courses.

Unforeseen Circumstances
While we fully expect you to make all efforts to allot appropriate time and concentration to your exam(s), we do understand that sometimes things happen beyond our control. If something unexpected happens (i.e., a power outage, family emergency, etc.) and you are unable to complete the exam after it has started, please notify us as soon as possible. We will work with you on a case-by-case basis.

 

THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS

After completing all three certification track courses and their associated exams, you are then eligible to apply for certification as a Crime Pattern Analysis - Professional (CPA-P)! There is no charge for this. After program completion, when you submit your application for certification, you will be asked to write a one-page A.P.A. formatted essay outlining what you learned and how you intend to apply it to your work (and/or if you have already begun to apply it). The Committee will review your previous coursework and test performances, along with your application and accompanying essay, and will notify you via email if your certification request is approved. Following approval, your certificate number will be given to you and we will provide you with an electronic copy of your certificate. Within two weeks of approval, a graduation package will be mailed to you and will include an official printed certificate.

ABOUT CPAF
The Crime Pattern Analysis-Fundamentalist (CPAF) course is the first in a series of three certification track courses. It includes instruction on topics, such as: introduction to crime analysis, crime pattern analysis and identification, and the crime analysis model and the intelligence cycle, types of analysis, proactive approaches, measuring success, and basic statistical functions. Attendees will learn from veterans in the field of crime analysis, and will be subjected to interactive exercises.

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Course Outline Style     Notes Style

Cost:
$100 for members
$150 for non-members.

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UPCOMING:

ABOUT CPAS
The Crime Pattern Analysis-Specialist (CPAS) course is the second in a series of three certification track courses. It includes instruction on topics, such as: effective writing strategies, crime bulletin and crime map creation and formatting, supporting components for a complete crime analysis product, working with intelligence, geospatial analysis, mapping product/services examples, and an overview of cell phone analysis. Attendees will learn from veterans in the field of crime analysis, and will be subjected to interactive exercises. Only persons who have completed the CPAF course and passed the associated exam are eligible to register for this course.

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Course Outline Style

Cost:
$150 for members
$200 for non-members.

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UPCOMING:

ABOUT CPAE

The Crime Pattern Analysis-Expert (CPAE) course is the last in a series of three certification track courses. It includes instruction on topics, such as: effective crime analysis product creation and refinement, how to interpret and communicate the product visually and verbally, ethical and legal concerns, working with the prosecutor, and presenting your product in court. Unlike the CPAF and CPAS courses, this course is a three-day (24 hour) event. This course is subject to change and has not been fully designed yet.

Cost:
$325 for members
$400 for non-members.

REGISTER-3 SPOTS LEFT!

UPCOMING:

Tallahassee - January 8-10, 2025

Graduation: January 10, 2025

Hotel Reservation

INDIVIDUAL TRAIT ASSESSMENT

 

INTERESTED IN BEING AN INSTRUCTOR FOR OUR CERTIFICATION COURSES?

 

Perfect! We are currently seeking qualified, experienced analysts and/or analyst supervisors with extensive knowledge of crime analysis, crime mapping, GIS, and crime pattern identification to be placed into our instructor pool for future classes. Please review the attached document (below) for specific requirements and compensation guidelines. If you are interested and meet the requirements outlined in the document, please email the Certification Committee at Certification@fciaa.org to express your interest and include a copy of your CV/resume and desired region (i.e., Central Florida, Panhandle, etc.).

INSTRUCTOR REQUIREMENTS
FCIAA REGIONS

 

Meet Our Current Instructors and Committee Members and View Class Photos

Amber Hoffman, M.S.
Southeastern University
Instructs: CPA-Specialist

LEARN ABOUT AMBER
Amber Hoffman is a professor at Southeastern University. Prior, she was the Analyst Unit Manager for the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. She holds certifications in law enforcement analysis from the International Association of Crime Analysts (IACA) and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). She has been in the crime analysis field for over 15 years and her experience includes being the sole Crime Analyst for the Suffolk Police Department in Suffolk, VA, a Criminal Intelligence Analyst for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and now the unit manager at MSO. She holds a Bachelor's of Art in Criminal Justice and Psychology and a Master's of Science in Criminal Justice from St. Leo University. Mrs. Hoffman is also an adjunct instructor for Hillsborough Community College where she teaches Introduction to Criminal Justice, Introduction to Crime and Intelligence Analysis, Advanced Crime Analysis, and Juvenile Delinquency. She also maintains professional memberships with the International Association of Crime Analysts (IACA) and the Florida Intelligence Unit (FIU).

Tommy L. Smith, M.A.
Leon County Sheriff's Office
Instructs: CPA-Fundamentalist

LEARN ABOUT TOMMY
Tommy is the Supervisory Crime Analyst with the Leon County, Florida Sheriff’s Office, where he has served since January 2018. Prior to working with LCSO, Tommy worked as a crime analyst with the Tallahassee, Florida Police Department. In total, Tommy has been working in law enforcement in some capacity since 2007. He holds a Master’s Degree in Homeland Security and a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, both from American Military University. He is currently working on his PhD in Criminal Justice at Liberty University. Tommy is the FCIAA Director of Technology & Curriculum Development, overseeing all technological initiatives and specialized training curriculum of the Association - this includes chairing the Certification Committee. His certifications include law enforcement analysis (FDLE Analyst Academy) and Geographic Profiling Analysis, and his expertise lies in geographic pattern analysis/GIS.

Stacy-Ann Sands-Madden
Leon County Sheriff's Office
Logistics & Support Coordinator

LEARN ABOUT STACY
Stacy-Ann is a Domestic Security Intelligence Analyst with the North Florida Fusion eXchange; however, she is primarily housed in the Leon County Sheriff's Office Criminal Intelligence & Analysis Unit. She is responsible for information sharing throughout the 13-county region. Stacy-Ann serves on the Certification Committee and helps coordinate all aspects of the program, including individual courses. She briefly served as the interim Treasurer, and also serves as a member of the Ethics Committee. Stacy-Ann was born in Jamaica but grew up in South Florida. Prior to working with NFFX and LCSO, Stacy-Ann worked with several Florida state agencies, including the Florida Lottery where she met her husband.

Certification Testing Center

Click below to enter the testing center. If you have not yet received login credentials to take your exam, you must contact the Certification Committee at Certification@fciaa.org before proceeding.

 

Already completed a course and need to complete the exam? If you know your credentials, click the button on right! Please note that your FCIAA login is NOT your exam login and you do not need to login to the FCIAA main website to access the exam center.

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You........ CAN........ do this!!!

PROGRAM MEASURABLES

AGENCY STATS
Police Departments
Sheriffs' Offices
PASS/FAIL RATES

The buttons above will display a pop-up with charts showing either overall agency (type) statistics, police departments, and sheriffs' offices that have had members attend one or more of our certification courses, or the overall pass/fail rates.