A criminologist is a professional who studies crime to prevent and reduce it from occurring. They use statistics from previous crimes to provide data to other law enforcement professionals with the intent that it will help to create a solution for crimes. Criminologists study crime patterns and create possible solutions to prevent these from happening in the future. They work closely with law enforcement officials and even help to create laws and policies aimed to reduce crime. Depending on what specialty they go into, criminologists can study violent crime, white-collar crime, property crime, organized crime, victimless crime, and more. Typically, a criminologist’s job responsibilities include analyzing data to understand why crimes have been committed, as well as finding ways to detect and prevent future criminal activities. They also tap into ethics, investigating why people commit crimes. Criminologists use social patterns, statistics, and psychology to analyze the behaviors of criminals and methods used by criminals in order to help predict and prevent crimes.

Here are some of the job responsibilities of a criminologist:

• Collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data surrounding crime
• Providing insights and solutions to prevent crime in a community
• Working closely with the police and policymakers to offer suggestions on policing strategies and proactive policing
• Informing public policies relating to crime and its prevention
• Conducting research at universities or colleges
• Teaching courses in psychology, criminal justice, criminology, sociology, or a related field

Criminologists can work in various environments, including government offices, colleges or universities, legislative bodies, police departments, and more. The average salary for a criminologist is $75,703.