Sherlock Holmes should be the motivating force for all Criminal Intelligence Analysts. You need to have a keen eye for detail, excellent analytical skills and creative problem solving skills. Gleaning information from database of criminal records, identifying patterns of activities and behaviour or individuals and groups, and presenting the data as easy to understand information to police and security forces when needed – it takes skills of the highest levels. Good communication skills, ability to switch tasks, excellent organisational skills, good memory, ability to meet deadlines and willingness to work into late hours, a clear understanding of working of computer & database systems – you need to be an all-rounder of a different kind. Technical skills, analytical skills, problem solving skills, communication skills, team-working skills, and presentation skills – it is tough, yet rewarding task to be a criminal intelligence analyst.