Meet the Expert: Ron Mark

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Ron Mark is the current director of the Center for Criminal Justice Research & Training at California State University Long Beach (CSULB). He is a retired police manager with over 30 years of law enforcement experience.

He is involved with various law enforcement associations that identify trends in law enforcement, develop training to address emerging issues, and advocate for the advancement of this profession. Much of the Center’s research is directed toward identifying future training needs and building cooperative partnerships with community stakeholders.

ForensicsColleges.com: What’s something you wish the public understood about crime and intelligence analysis?

Mark: In the past, most law enforcement positions were staffed by sworn peace officers. But what you’re seeing now is a pivot towards more of what we call professional staff. For every cop that carries a gun out there and does police work, there’s a large number of people behind them, providing support, and crime analysis is a huge part of that.

ForensicsColleges.com: Do you have any advice or encouragement for those interested in careers in crime and intelligence analysis?

Mark: If you want to serve the public, if you want to serve your community, if you want to make a difference and be in public service but not necessarily become a cop or a probation officer, then this is a great option. It’s a growing field for people who want to support public safety.

ForensicsColleges.com: What does the future of the field look like to you?

Mark: More and more agencies are starting to recognize the value of crime analysts. They can save time, money, and resources. The next step could be more real-time crime centers, where analysts perform a combination of crime analysis and dispatching.