Leapodcasts

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, sha...

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...

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 A...

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 acade...

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 C...

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...

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 a...

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 geog...

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...

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 i...

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....

Episode: 00330 Released on August 3, 2026 Description:  What happens when you review 850 analytical job postings spanning nearly three years? Dr. Jessica Herbert did exactly that, and what she found should make every law enforcement leader rethink how they hire analysts. In this episode, Jason and Jessica discuss the disconnect between job postings and the actual work today's analysts perform. The...

Episode: 00329 Released on July 27, 2026 Description:  Can numbers really tell the truth, or can they tell any story we want them to? In this episode of Before You Leap, Jason Elder and Randy Stickley tackle one of the most misunderstood aspects of intelligence and crime analysis: the interpretation of numbers. The discussion explores why percentages can create a false sense of certainty, the diff...

Episode: 00326 Released on July 6, 2026 Description:  Kristi Barletta has built a career around understanding the why behind crime, policing, and organizational decision-making. With 17 years in law enforcement and 12 years in law enforcement analysis, Kristi has progressed from intern to analyst, director, and member of police command staff. In this episode, Kristi shares how experiences in accre...

Episode: 00325 Released on June 29, 2026 Description:  John Canada III returns to the podcast nearly five years after his first appearance to share the next chapter of his remarkable journey. John discusses his transition from the Broward Sheriff's Office to becoming an Intelligence Research Specialist with the ATF, including insights into the federal hiring process, writing samples, and adapting...

Episode: 00324 Released on June 22, 2026 Description:  Dr. Paige Keningale returns to Analyst Talk to discuss the journey from podcast host to earning her PhD while living and teaching in Abu Dhabi. Paige shares her experiences at Rabdan Academy, the role of virtual reality in police education, the impact of AI on intelligence work, and the lessons she learned through the doctoral process. The con...

Episode: 00323 Released on June 15, 2026 Description:  Chris Mason has spent more than two decades serving as a law enforcement analyst with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. Along the way, he has worked assignments in criminal intelligence, homicide, station operations, and public health overdose surveillance. He also serves as a director for the Association of Law Enforcement Intelligen...

Episode: 00322 Released on June 8, 2026 Description:  What happens when a newspaper reporter becomes a crime and intelligence analyst? In this episode of Analyst Talk, Abigail shares her unique journey from journalism and marketing into law enforcement analysis. She discusses how storytelling became one of her greatest analytical strengths, why qualitative data can be just as powerful as statistic...

Episode: 00321 Released on June 1, 2026 Description:  This week on Analyst Talk with Jason Elder, we celebrate six years of LEAPodcasts and Analyst Talk. Jason is joined by co-founder Mindy Duong for a candid conversation reflecting on more than 300 episodes, the evolution of the law enforcement analysis profession, and the lessons learned from building a volunteer-driven podcast community. Togeth...

Episode: 00320 Released on May 25, 2026 Description:  This week on Analyst Talk, Jason sits down with Nick Barker, Criminal Intelligence Analyst Supervisor with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, to discuss his journey from band nerd and underwater crime scene investigations student at Florida State University to leading a cutting-edge Real Time Crime Center. Nick shares how a dropped pho...

Episode: 00319 Released on May 18, 2026 Description:  This week on Analyst Talk with Jason Elder, Debbie Osborne returns to the podcast to discuss the release of the second edition of her new book, Elements of Crime Patterns: A Foundation for Theory and Practice. Debbie explains how the book serves as a practical thinking tool for analysts, investigators, researchers, and criminal justice students...

Episode: 00318 Released on May 11, 2026 Description:  What happens when an analyst trusts the data even when no one else does? This week on Analyst Talk with Jason Elder, host Jason Elder sits down with Brandy Schiber to discuss her unique journey into law enforcement analysis, from studying psychology and criminal behavior to becoming a respected intelligence analyst and instructor. Brandy shares...

Episode: 00317 Released on May 4, 2026 Description:  This week on Analyst Talk, Jason sits down with Timothy J. Smith, a former CIA analyst who helped reshape how intelligence professionals think about data and decision-making. Tim shares his journey from building a UN voting analysis tool that uncovered global alignment trends to leading the development of the Global Power Index (an effort focuse...