Law Enforcement Analyst – Foundational (LEAF)  

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Program Outline

The Program Outline explains the genesis and evolution of the Law Enforcement Analyst – Foundational certification program.

Program Outline (Spanish)

Competencies

The Law Enforcement Analyst – Foundational certification program is based on a collection of core competencies that analysts are expected to possess. The study guide describes each one in detail.

Becoming Certified

Any analyst wishing to obtain a Law Enforcement Analyst – Foundational (LEAF) certification must meet the following prerequisite:

  • The applicant must be a current member of the International Association of Crime Analysts (IACA).

Study Guide & Reading Resources

The Certification Committee has developed a Law Enforcement Analyst – Foundational Certification Study Guide & Reading Resource List to assist you in your preparation to take the exam.

Study Guide (Spanish)

The IACA also offers multiple online training classes that can help students prepare for the certification exams. For LEAF, a combination of any two of these classes will cover all LEAF competencies:

The Essential Skills II and Advanced Analytical Methods for Microsoft Office classes can also assist with preparation if desired. This document will show you exactly which skill sets are covered by which classes. Each class is taught by a current or former crime analyst and is held online over 12 weeks, and there are no live sessions, so you can complete the work whenever it fits your schedule! Successfully completing any of our online classes (there are currently 15 total) will result in 60 hours of CEUs and 4 points towards your CLEA testing eligibility. For questions about any 12-week training classes, please contact the Training Committee at [email protected].

A 12-part Certification Series is also available in the Webinar Library here. The series specifically highlights what you need to study for each skill set in order to successfully pass CLEA or LEAF. The webinar library is free to all IACA members.

To review frequently asked questions about these exams, visit Certification FAQ

For all inquiries relating to Certification, please email [email protected].