Membership AwardThe IACA Membership Award was created to honor ANY individual who has made an exceptional contribution to the field of crime and/or intelligence analysis in their unit, agency or community; or exceptional contributions to the IACA in particular. IACA members will be the deciding vote on the recipient of the award! This is a great way to recognize ANYBODY who has made great contributions to our profession and/or made our Association better and stronger by his or her efforts. Nominees are listed in alphabetical order by last name. NomineesJENNIFER BRADY Senior Crime Analyst I would like to nominate CA Jennifer Brady from Blue Springs Police Department in Missouri for the Membership Award. She has made a notable contribution to crime analysis by introducing students to the field and instilling a passion for this career. She has worked hard to create an internship program for Blue Springs Police Department which has shown to be an environment where potential future crime analysts can thrive. In February of 2023, I came to CA Brady and requested the opportunity to intern with her while I finished my master’s degree program. While I was not her first intern, I was the first intern that came from a university. She ensured that I got as much experience as I could through my internship, even more than I even needed for my class. She was building me up to be successful in this career. One of the first things she arranged for me was getting a membership to MARCAN and IACA. She introduced me to the several resources IACA offered which expanded my knowledge into the field and gave me sources to utilize in my final paper. She also brought me to all the MARCAN meetings and conferences. This helped me expand my network by introducing me to all the other crime analysts throughout the area. A network of individuals that I still keep in contact with today and that still continues to grow. She exposed me to the different kinds of crime analysis and gave me hands on experience with each. For example, I was able to create my own bulletins, reports and charts for the Blue Springs Police Department. She then encouraged me to send the information to whomever the intended party was, ranging from other crime analysts to our Chief. This hands on experience helped me produce products that I could include in my professional crime analysis portfolio which I ended up using in a couple of my job interviews. I received several compliments from the other departments on the portfolio she helped me build and the products that I created. I believe this was part of the success in me gaining full-time employment. She truly went above and beyond for me to be successful in finding a job. Even after my internship with CA Brady, she continues to check in on me. While I am only writing from my experience, I know she continues to have an impact on her other interns. Not only did she connect these new interns with MARCAN members, but she also makes sure that they send emails through the shared metro distribution list to get their names and products recognized by other departments. This recognition paves a path for their future careers as analysts. I once heard a quote from Roy Bennett that I believe describes Jennifer Brady perfectly: “Great leaders create more leaders, not followers”. With less than a year of experience in crime analysis, I was able to obtain a position as a crime analyst. I have already been able to make a difference in the community that I work for and one day I hope I am able to lead new analysts in the field like she has led me. In this growing profession, I believe that the teachers in crime analysis are crucial to contributing to the field. Especially when they are extraordinary teachers, like Jennifer Brady. ------------------- AMANDA BRUNER Embedded Crime Analyst This letter should serve as a resounding nomination for Amanda Bruner to receive the 2024 IACA Membership Award for her contributions to the field of Crime Analysis in 2023. Amanda serves as an Embedded Analyst with the Crime Analyst in Residence (CAR) program. This grant funded position’s mandate is to assist small and rural law enforcement agencies all over the country expand their analytic capacity. Amanda has gone well above and beyond the standards set for her position and has made a tremendous impact at numerous law enforcement agencies. She has provided training and technical support to Madeira County, CA, Blacksburg, VA, Fuquay-Varina, NC, South Milwaukee WI, Dearborn MI, Phenix City, AL and many others. She has worked side-by-side with these analysts to help them develop their units and their professional skills. Her success in this role has been remarkable and her work in Fuquay-Varina and Blacksburg in particular highlight the impact she is able to have in short, six month engagements. In Fuquay-Varina, Amanda assisted Command Staff in navigating a difficult IT policy which prevented analysts from using ODBC connections and the latest analytical software like Power BI. After several months of meeting with IT, drafting memos and responding to departmental concerns, the FVPD was able to obtain all of the IT resources needed to expand their analytical capacity. She worked diligently, one-on-one with the department’s sole analyst who was spending tremendous amounts of time updating regular products. She implemented automation techniques and trained the department on their usage. The city now enjoys numerous Power BI dashboards that provide up-to-date information on offenses, officer productivity, traffic crashes, traffic citations and offender intelligence- all of which used to require manual effort on the part of the analyst. She also provided training in the use of link charts to support Investigations. In Blacksburg, Virginia, Amanda assisted Chief Todd Brewster in realizing his vision of becoming a regional intelligence hub. At the time she began consulting, BPD did not employ an analyst. Amanda assisted the department in navigating the hiring process. She also oversaw the effort to integrate every RMS from surrounding agencies into one consolidated database housed at Blacksburg PD. The Blacksburg PD analyst can now provide analytic support to all surrounding cities including strategic and tactical analysis. Additionally, they are now able to connect crime series across jurisdictional boundaries. Amanda’s impact has gone far beyond the CAR Program. She is now working in Project Safe Neighborhoods and the Public Safety Partnership where she has been instrumental in providing training and technical support to analysts in Kennesaw, GA, Sacramento, CA and others. In addition to her work with the Center for Naval Analysis, she is also a consummate educator. She is the President of the Carolinas Crime Analysis Association (CCAA), a new regional association. In her first term as president, she doubled attendance at their annual training conference. She also teaches Crime Analysis courses for the University of North Carolina Charlotte and Radford University. She was able to successfully integrate undergraduate students into CCAA’s annual conference for the first time ever by offering a student poster session. Amanda’s impact on working analysts, students and her professional community is nothing short of remarkable. For these reasons and many others, it is our hope that you’ll consider her for the 2024 IACA Membership Award. ------------------- NOEMI ECKHOFF Crime Analyst Noemi Eckhoff is a model analyst, team player, and employee, and I wanted to nominate her for the above membership award. Noemi previously worked at the Rockwall Police Department as a Crime Analyst. In my tenure at the North Texas Fusion Center (NTFC), Noemi has proved to be an excellent partner time and time again. Noemi provided us with OSINT analysis of protests and events in our Area of Responsibility without our prompting and served as a fantastic liaison between NTFC and Rockwall Police. Whenever we inquired about an incident or person of interest, Noemi would not hesitate to offer her assistance in product writing and editing, analysis, and investigation assistance. When we did our Fusion Liaison Officer Training earlier this year, Noemi arrived early to help us set up and organize, hand out folders, and sign people in. Somehow she did this while serving IALEIA and IACA, establishing multiple groups, attending and hosting webinars, and establishing a mentorship program for the Emerging Professionals Working Group through IALEIA. Noemi works hard to make everyone feel welcome and like they are in the right place, and she knows how to build up new analysts with confidence and skills to succeed on their own. Noemi does all the required work and more without hesitation or complaints, and always works for a better and thriving intelligence community. She has done nothing but support and help, and I trust she will continue to do so in her new role at CNA. I feel like everyone in this community knows Noemi or knows of her, and has only ever heard good things. Anyone who has seen her product or worked with her knows this is well justified, and that she loves what she does and loves helping make this community better. I appreciate your consideration in advance. Everything and everyone Noemi touches turns to gold. Her passion and drive are infectious, and her contributions to the NTFC and the intelligence community in the North Texas area have been astounding.
I would like to nominate Noemi Eckhoff for the membership award. In the last two years, Noemi has embraced the Crime Analysis field with full force. Noemi is a new analyst in the Crime Analysis field and has taken it upon herself to fully engage and learn the varied skills and responsibilities as an analyst, as well as working to connect analysts in the central north Texas region at conferences and multiple social events. Noemi works well to foster positive relationships with analysts and has served a mentor to new analysts and emerging professionals. Noemi also spearheaded a group for emerging professionals with IALEIA and launched a free webinar series for both IALEIA and IACA members. Noemi is always looking for ways to support, assist, and encourage others. Noemi is already a master of her craft and is already and absolute treasure to the Crime Analysis field. ------------------- LOGAN KONOPASEK Investigative Analyst Logan Konopasek, an intelligence analyst with the Kansas City, MO Police Department, is the only analyst assigned to the homicide unit at KCPD. Last year Kansas City, MO had a record year for homicides with 182. For detectives assigned to the homicide unit, it meant 7.5 homicides for each detective to handle. For Logan, it meant helping 24 detectives solve those 182 homicides and being on call with those detectives. While keeping up with the homicide unit, Logan was the acting supervisor for all 20 of the Kansas City, MO analysts. With new policies set by their chief to help promote civilian growth, Logan filled a new civilian analyst supervisor role until the role could be filled permanently. This required Logan to divide his attention from his full time duties as a homicide analyst to attend meetings with command and keep in contact with all the analysts at six precincts. Outside of KCPD, Logan continued to give back to the analyst community by being the Vice-President of MARCAN (Mid-American Regional Analyst Network) which includes being the liaison to the RAC committee. Logan also presented at IACA’s annual conference and MARCAN’s annual conference in 2023. Both presentations were evaluated as some of the highest at their respective conferences. Overall, Logan’s dedication to crime analysis and his work product has made Kansas City Police Department request funds to expand the intelligence analysis presence in the homicide unit to four analysts. This would give each of the four squads in the unit their own analyst. The department used Logan’s expertise to produce a video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fendx8nswq8) to explain what an analyst does during these investigations and show how beneficial an analyst’s work is. The video has been watched over 200 times on YouTube and shared throughout IACA’s social media sites. I am honored to nominate Logan Konopasek for the Membership Award within the International Association of Crime Analysts. Logan has not only demonstrated exceptional skill and dedication to the field of crime analysis but has also exhibited profound compassion and commitment to justice, as exemplified by his recent involvement in a pivotal case within the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. Recently, a news article shed light on a case where Logan played a pivotal role. In this instance, Logan exhibited extraordinary dedication and empathy towards the victim, approaching the investigation with a heartfelt determination as if the victim were one of his own family members. He devoted extensive hours to meticulously comb through surveillance footage and traffic cameras, driven by an unwavering commitment to apprehend the perpetrator and seek justice for the victim. His meticulous efforts bore fruit as he successfully located crucial evidence, including identifying the suspect vehicle and its whereabouts. Collaborating closely with detectives, Logan assisted in pinpointing a gas station visited by the suspect, a critical breakthrough in the investigation. Through his diligent work, the suspect was not only located but positively identified, revealing his status as a registered sex offender, thereby amplifying the urgency of his apprehension. Thanks to Logan's extraordinary dedication and tireless efforts, law enforcement officers were able to swiftly apprehend a violent sex offender, ensuring the safety of the community. Moreover, his invaluable contributions enabled prosecutors to secure charges against the perpetrator, effectively removing him from the streets and preventing further harm. Logan is not only a proficient crime analyst but also a compassionate individual who embodies the highest ideals of public service. His willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty, coupled with his genuine concern for victims of violent crime, sets him apart as an exemplary member of the law enforcement community. In light of Logan's remarkable achievements and unwavering commitment to justice, I wholeheartedly endorse his nomination for the Membership Award. His outstanding contributions to the field of crime analysis, coupled with his compassionate concern for the well-being of the community, make him a truly deserving candidate for this prestigious honor. Thank you for considering Logan Konopasek for this esteemed award. ------------------- TORI LOWE Crime Analyst II Tori has been the hugest help in assisting me on where to start, how to accomplish, and everything in between to get my newly acquired position up and running as quickly and efficiently as possible. When I approached her seeking help in obtaining information and everything necessary to fulfill an new analyst position within my agency, she immediately began sending a wealth of information, websites, spreadsheets, and links to associations for me to join. She sat down with me for hours on her own time to explain the how's, the why's, the when's, etc. As well as provided me a list of classes, seminars and conferences that she knew from experience would be the most beneficial to me and my agency. Any time she is asked for assistance, she provides without hesitation for anyone. Without her, I would be extremely lost, and worse, possibly unemployed or a failed analyst. In addition, I have sent some of my work products to her for her to double check to make sure I am not missing anything to which she always complies. Yes, we work for the same county but we do not work for the same agency or elected official and she has no obligation to do this for anyone but she willing volunteers her experience and knowledge. She provides phenomenal support to her agency and others with her extensive knowledge, skill set and experience. The analytical community is just a fortunate to have her as her agency is. ------------------- VALENTE PEREZ Intelligence Analyst/Strategic In August 2023, Valente Perez stepped into the role of the Chesterfield County Police Department's Analytic & Strategic Operations Center, Strategic Analyst. In this role, Valente has brought new and innovative ideas on how we can distribute valuable information and deploy resources in a more efficient manner. While both of these tasks began as ideas, he has accomplished these goals by leveraging databases and technology. In his new role, Valente attended the basic PowerBI course which provided general instruction on how to build these dashboards. After completing the basic course, he utilized open-source databases and forums to conduct hours of research. He then collaborated with Chesterfield County Fire personnel, who already utilize PowerBI, to get a better understanding of how to code in PowerBI. Simultaneously, Valente began building PowerBI dashboards and coordinated with our Automation Analyst to connect the data, so that it could be displayed in real-time. In March 2024, Valente completed his first interactive dashboard, which he presented to members of the executive staff. The PowerBI solution provides an interactive way to display real-time data so that stakeholders can make real-time decisions. Valente continues to expand and create new dashboards that can be utilized for various audiences, including the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors. In addition to PowerBI dashboards, Valente was tasked with researching and creating a solution to distributing the Watch Commander Report through Microsoft Teams. The Watch Commander Report contains information on high priority events that occurred during the previous shifts watch. The report was originally distributed via email. Valente instantly began researching this solution using open source and Microsoft resources. He then spoke with national partners, IST, and Systems Support to develop the Teams channel and Microsoft forms. Valente has tested this database, and it is ready for implementation. With the use of Microsoft Teams, users can report incidents as they happen, versus waiting until the end of a shift. Both of these tasks have taken an extensive amount of time and dedication to ensure that they are functional for the end users. Without Valente's innovation mind and determination, neither of these ideas could have been turned into functional programs. Valente's PowerBI dashboards and Microsoft Teams Watch Commander Report will drastically improve the way the Chesterfield County Police Department interacts with strategic data and communicating. ------------------- LORENZO PLAZAS Intelligence Linguist Analyst I am deeply honored to be considered for this scholarship, and I am grateful for the opportunity to share my experiences and contributions to law enforcement and national security efforts. Over the past two years, I have been privileged to work alongside dedicated professionals from various agencies, including the FBI, DEA, U.S. Postal, and various task forces to combat international drug trafficking organizations. On this particular collaboration, it resulted in a significant breakthrough in the fight against drug trafficking, as evidenced by the unprecedented success of our wire investigation. Through meticulous planning, relentless dedication, and coordinated efforts, we were able to gather crucial evidence, establish probable cause, and ultimately apprehend 40 co-conspirators involved in the illicit drug trade. The impact of this operation extended beyond mere arrests; it disrupted the operations of a major criminal network, preventing the distribution of harmful substances and safeguarding communities across the United States. One of the most rewarding aspects of this endeavor was witnessing the tangible results of our collective efforts. The seizure of 339 kilograms of cocaine, 25 firearms, and $200,000 in cash and vehicles not only disrupted the financial infrastructure of the criminal organization but also potentially saved countless lives by preventing the proliferation of drugs and violence in our neighborhoods. Moreover, the successful prosecution of these individuals, resulting in minimum-mandatory sentences, serves as a deterrent to others who may contemplate engaging in similar criminal activities. Throughout this investigation, I have been privileged to witness the unwavering commitment and professionalism of my colleagues in law enforcement. In conclusion, I believe that my involvement in this joint investigation exemplifies my dedication to public service, my capacity for collaboration and teamwork. As a recipient of this scholarship, I am confident that I will continue to pursue excellence in my academic and professional endeavors, while striving to make meaningful contributions to the safety and security of our society as I continue to do being tasked with assignments like this every day.
Please note that only active IACA Members may vote for this award. The voting period closed June 18, 2024. The winner will be announced at the Annual Conference. If you have questions or concerns, please contact the Awards and Recognition Committee at [email protected]. |