A criminologist’s goal is to understand and, ultimately, reduce crime. Criminologists are engaged in the academic study of crime, criminals and the effectiveness of the criminal justice system. Crime is studied through a variety of academic lenses, such as sociology, psychology and biology, and is studied at both the micro and macro level.

Criminologists study law reform, forensics, correctional systems, law enforcement tactics, juvenile delinquency and drug abuse, among other issues. Part of a criminologist’s job is to develop theories on why a person deviates from socially accepted norms to commit criminal activities. They look for similarities, patterns and trends in deviants and conduct research on whether the justice system is effectively reforming criminals.

Working both statistically and analytically, a criminologist writes scientific reports and develops crime statistics that form the basis of laws, community initiatives, reform policies and crime legislation. A criminologist is much more like a scientist or scholar than, say, a judge or correctional officer. They read essays, check out studies and collect statistics to add to their knowledge of crime. They build upon this knowledge by compiling their own reports, which are then used to solve real-life problems. They compile such demographics as who is most likely to commit crimes, where most crimes are committed, the effects of the justice system on the criminal, and whether the criminal relapses back to a life in crime after being reformed.

A criminologist helps law enforcement cut down on crime. He does this by working side-by-side with officers and by working behind the scenes. Criminologists may assist with autopsies or drug busts, or conduct crime scene investigations and psychological profiling or conduct studies behind the scenes.

Criminologists are usually required to have a bachelor’s degree, preferably in sociology, psychology or criminal justice, and a master’s or doctorate. A criminologist is someone who thinks analytically and critically, can work with statistics, has a desire to learn about crime, and knows about the psychological and sociological aspects surrounding criminal activity. A criminologist’s research may be published in a number of criminology journals.

Since criminology is academic, a criminologist can often find a job teaching or conducting research at a university. Criminologists can work independently or in a group, and many are employed by local or federal branches of law enforcement and courts or are hired as a personal consulting service. Many go on to work as police officers, security guards, FBI agents or specialize in crime scene investigation.