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Analyst Talk with Jason Elder is an interview-based audio show where Jason Elder, a former analyst, interviews experts in the Law Enforcement Analysis Profession. The purpose of the show is to document and share stories of the brilliant minds that support law enforcement every day that almost go unnoticed mainstream. We want to share their ”Words to the World.” Each episode features an expert in varying positions of this analytical world, sharing their experiences, work, and passion. These episodes cover various themes and topics that would be beneficial to a variety of audiences – from casual listeners interested in criminal justice topics...
Analyst Talk - Amy Schoch - The Curveball Analyst
Episode: 00342 Released on October 26, 2026 Description: After spending 26 years working in minor league baseball, Amy Schoch never imagined her next career would be in law enforcement analysis. But when COVID brought her baseball career to an unexpected end, she found herself starting over as an administrative assistant with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. What began as a temporary job turned into a second career and a new passion.
In this episode of Analyst Talk with Jason Elder, Amy shares her journey from baseball promotions and marketing to becoming an criminal intelligence analyst. She discusses how her marketing background...
Analyst Talk - Kristine Vander Wall - The Adaptable Analyst
Episode: 00341 Released on October 19, 2026 Description: What happens when an analyst reaches a point in their career where they have to decide whether to stay or move on? Kristine Vander Wall joins Jason Elder to discuss career decisions, professional growth, and the importance of taking risks. The two also reconnect more than 20 years after working together at the Washington Baltimore HIDTA, sharing memories and perspectives on how law enforcement analysis has evolved.
Kristine reflects on her career, from juvenile probation and parole to drug and gang intelligence, crime gun investigations, and government contracting. She shares her Analyst Badge...
Analyst Talk LEAN - AFESA - LeBlanc, Heiderman, & Deutschman
Episode: 00340 Released on October 12, 2026 Description: What happens when crime analysts and fire analysts start comparing notes? They may discover they are working on many of the same community problems, just from different perspectives.
In the third episode of the Law Enforcement Analyst Networks (LEAN) series, Jason Elder welcomes Jessica LeBlanc, Melissa Heiderman, and Shannon Deutschman from the Association of Fire and Emergency Services Analysts (AFESA). The guests introduce this growing professional association, explain its four pillars of advocacy, education, innovation, and networking, and discuss how AFESA is building a community for analysts working in fire, rescue, and...
Analyst Talk - Kimber Burks-Reece: The Dos and Don’ts of Case Support
Episode: 00339 Released on October 5, 2026 Description: Kimber Burks-Reece has spent more than two decades with the Harris County Sheriff's Office, building a career that has taken her from working as a patrol clerk to supporting investigations, working alongside HIDTA and FBI analysts, helping develop an analytical unit, and providing real time crime and intelligence support.
In this episode of Analyst Talk, Kimber joins Jason to talk about how she discovered crime analysis almost by accident and the experiences that shaped the analyst she became. She shares her Analyst Badge Story involving a stolen vehicle, a license plate reader...
Analyst Talk - Beyond the Lecture: Arizona’s Hands-On Analyst Academy
Episode: 00338 Released on September 28, 2026 Description: What does it take to build a common foundation for law enforcement analysts? Brittany Winslow returns to Analyst Talk with Jason Elder to discuss Arizona's Law Enforcement Analyst Training and Academy, a program adapted from Florida's established analyst training model. Brittany explains the 40-hour prerequisite course, the six-month academy, the hands-on exercises, testing, networking, and the strategic assessment analysts complete for their agencies.
Jason and Brittany also discuss the difference between attending a lecture and actually being trained. From Excel and critical thinking to crime series analysis, forecasting, mapping, link analysis, timelines, and...
Analyst Talk - Did You Know With Mike Winslow - The Dos and Don'ts of Testifying
Episode: 00337 Released on September 21, 2026
Description: What happens when an analyst's work moves from the office to the courtroom?
In the sixth episode of the "Did You Know?" series, Jason Elder and Mike discuss what analysts should know before taking the witness stand. Mike shares lessons from his own experience testifying, including how to prepare with detectives and prosecutors, keep your CV current, create effective visuals, and explain complex analysis in terms a jury can understand.
They also explore what not to do. Don't overstate what the data shows, overwhelm the jury, overcomplicate your explanation, overthink...
Analyst Talk LEAN - NAPSPS - Ben Haiman
Episode: 00336 Released on September 14, 2026 Description: In the second episode of LEAN: Law Enforcement Analyst Networks, Jason Elder talks with Ben Haiman, Executive Director of the National Association of Professional Staff in Public Safety (NAPSPS). Founded in 2025, NAPSPS is building a national network for professional staff working throughout law enforcement and public safety. Ben discusses the association’s focus on professional development, networking, and advocacy, along with the challenges professional staff can face when it comes to inclusion, compensation, leadership opportunities, and having a seat at the decision-making table. Jason and Ben also explore how analysts can move beyond producing re...
Analyst Talk JAM – Jason & Mindy – The Analyst as a Client
Episode: 00335 Released on September 7, 2026 Description: Welcome to the first episode of JAM: Jason and Mindy on Analyst Talk! After years of talking about doing a show together, Jason Elder and Mindy Yoon finally make it happen. In this quarterly series, Jason and Mindy discuss what’s on their minds in law enforcement analysis: what’s their jam, what’s not their jam, and whatever else comes up along the way.
In this inaugural episode, Jason argues that analysts may be neglecting one of their most important clients: themselves. Jason and Mindy discuss using automation, dashboards, repeatable processes, and pr...
Analyst Talk - Amy O’Neill - Say Yes to Opportunities - IALEIA
Episode: 00334 Released on August 31, 2026 Description: Amy O’Neill didn’t set out to become a law enforcement analyst. After earning a geography degree, a temporary opportunity with Humberside Police introduced her to intelligence analysis and launched a career spanning tactical analysis, major investigations, leadership, and the UK’s National Crime Agency.
In this episode, Amy discusses how geography and mapping shaped her analytical approach, including her Analyst Badge Story involving a prolific burglary group and an investigation that resulted in significant prison sentences. She also reflects candidly on a difficult transition into leadership, what she learned from the experi...
Analyst Talk - Analyst Talk - Research Remix - What Motivates Proactive Policing?
Episode: 00333 Released on August 24, 2026 Description: What motivates police officers to embrace proactive and evidence-based policing? In Episode 6 of Research Remix, Jason Elder and Jamie Roush examine a 2025 study by Peterson, Lum, and Koper exploring the factors that influence officers’ proactive policing activities. Jason and Jamie discuss the importance of organizational culture, supervisor expectations, training, experience, rewards, and accountability, and why simply telling officers to “be proactive” may not be enough.
The conversation also turns to the role of law enforcement analysts. From developing analytical products that guide proactive deployments to evaluating whether an initiative actually worked, analysts can he...
Analyst Talk - Matt Lambert - Managing Things, Leading People
Episode: 00332 Released on August 17, 2026 Description: Matt Lambert has spent his career exploring where law enforcement analysis can take him from local crime analysis and federal contract support to geospatial data science and eventually supervising an analytical unit. In this episode, Matt joins host Jason Elder to discuss his unconventional path into the profession, his analyst badge story involving a years-long indecent exposure series, and what he learned when he moved from doing analytical work to leading the people who do it. Matt shares lessons from supervising analysts, including adapting to different personalities and learning styles, delegating work you know y...
Analyst Talk - Vanessa Martinovici - The More Than Crime Mapping Analyst
Episode: 00331 Released on August 10, 2026 Description: What does an investigative analyst actually do? In this episode, Jason sits down with Vanessa Martinovici, Criminal Intelligence Analyst with the Rocky Mountain Information Network (RMIN), to discuss her journey from discovering the profession during a college internship to supporting complex investigations across the western United States. Vanessa explains how Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS) support agencies with specialized analytical services, why investigative analysts have become indispensable in the digital evidence era, and how analysts contribute to child abuse, organized retail crime, and transnational investigations. She also shares insights into the Arizona Law Enforcement A...
