Traditional crime analysis, involving summary reports and aggregated statistics, has limited utility for problem-solving. This paper explores analysis-related functions and practices that can extend and enhance the contribution of crime analysis to solving problems which includes the expansion of data-collection methods. To obtain effective analysis requires more thinking and wider participation in primary data collection by crime analysts and others within police agencies. In setting forth an analytic approach to systematically examine problems, this paper begins by providing guidance on the analysis and process. This is followed by key steps for problem analysis which includes; parsing of problems, enumeration, and establishing prevalence. The analysis process then turns its attention to collection of data about problems that involve testable hypotheses, identifying contextual variables, sequencing research steps, and increasing the use of qualitative methods. Lastly, an examination is conducted on the interpretation and evaluation of data or analytic techniques to make sense of it all. The most sophisticated statistical methods to be commonly employed in analysis of problem-solving involve community surveys or other data collection methods involving sampling, thus inferential statistics. A wide variety of technologies are currently changing the ability of police to collect information about crime and public safety problems. The future of analysis is solving persistent community problems involve the dramatic expansion of data collection methods and a rising interest in data-driven decisions. References