CICA

What is CICA?

The Center for Intelligence and Crime Analysis (CICA) was established in January 2023 and is housed within the Sam Houston State University College of Criminal Justice. Our mission is to assist public safety agencies by enhancing their analytical capabilities through professional development, education, and research.

The public and private sectors operate in an environment fraught with threats and opportunities. The interconnected nature of American society increases the severity of manmade and natural threats facing public and private organizations. Building organizational resiliency and improving performance is predicated on an understanding of external and internal risk factors.

CICA’s goal is to enhance public safety through expanded and improved data analytics.
Click here to view our 2023 Annual Report!

Three Areas of Focus

The Center for Intelligence and Crime Analysis (CICA) seeks to fulfill its mission through three areas of focus.

Direct Research and Technical Assistance

Academic Program(s) at Sam Houston State University

Degree Programs
Certification Programs
Internship Programs

Professional Development Courses for Practitioners, Including:

Agencies in the Public and Private Sectors that protect critical infrastructure
Law-Enforcement (Police)
Corrections
Court Systems/DA Offices

Crime Analysis Courses & Certificate Program

These skills-focused courses are taught by experts in the law enforcement and criminology fields and are held throughout the calendar year. Most of our courses are offered in person only at the Sam Houston State University campus in The Woodlands, Texas. However, our independent courses are offered virtually. See below for more information.

Professional Development Courses for Analysts

Foundations of Crime Analysis

Types of crime and problem analysis
Evidence based practices
Research methods
and data quality assessments
Data analysis basics
Communication strategies
Case studies

Databases and Analysis

Database Fundamentals
Microsoft Office applications
SQL and Power Query in Excel
Organizing data for analysis
Data analysis tools
Data visualization basics

Social Network Analysis

Theory and methods of SNA
Gephi Software
Lab-based learning
Communicating results
Applied Course Project

Crime and Problem Mapping

Purposes of spatial analysis
Importing and Geocoding Data
Communicating results
ArcGIS Pro
Case studies

Special Topics Courses

These classes are separate from the certificate program and can be taken at any time.
Click on the links for more information.

Social Media Investigative Tools

December 12, 2024
Virtual and In-Person in The Woodlands, TX
For inquiries, please email cica@shsu.edu
Register Here
Course Info

Fundamentals of Intelligence Analysis

November 18-20, 2024
In-Person Only in The Woodlands, TX
For inquiries, please email cica@shsu.edu
Apply Here
Course Info

Data Visualization using Power BI

Upcoming Dates TBD
Virtual and In-Person in The Woodlands, TX
For inquiries, please email cica@shsu.edu
Course Info

Crime Investigator-Analyst Collaboration

Upcoming Dates TBD
In-Person Only in The Woodlands, TX
We encourage agencies to send both investigators and analysts to this course.
For inquiries, please email cica@shsu.edu
Course Info

Crime Analysis Certificate Program - Fall 2024

Registration is at capacity and closed for Fall 2024.

Foundations of Crime Analysis
September 23 - 26, 2024

Databases & Analysis
October 14 - 17, 2024

Introduction to Social Network Analysis (SNA)
November 4 - 7, 2024

Crime and Problem Mapping
December 3 - 6, 2024

CAC Certificate Flyer
View Travel Guide for The Woodlands, TX

Registration is limited and will close on September 16, or as soon as we are at capacity. For inquiries and registration, please email cica@shsu.edu.

Technical Assistance

The Center for Intelligence and Crime Analysis is committed to providing long-term technical assistance to organizations. We will collaborate directly with these organizations to analyze data as well as develop and grow analysis units.

Assistance Highlights: