Analyst Talk - Kristi Barletta - The Leading Without Authority Analyst

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 accreditation, dispatch, criminal investigations, and executive administration prepared her to build an analyst position from the ground up. She discusses leading without authority, earning credibility within a police department, and why analysts should have a voice in operational and strategic decisions.

Kristi also takes listeners inside her work addressing gun violence through social network analysis, focused deterrence, impact players, custom notifications, and cross-jurisdictional collaboration. She explains how strong data practices, relationships, and consistent processes helped reduce shootings and prevent retaliation. The conversation also explores implementing data-driven policing strategies, introducing change without overwhelming officers, reducing traffic crashes, the importance of professional staff in command-level discussions, and why analysts need to get out from behind their computers to better understand the communities represented in their data. 🎧 Listen, share, and keep talking! [Note:  Description produced by ChatGPT.] Name Drops:  Deb Piehl (01:24:56), Robert Greene/David Simon/Thomas Abt (01:27:14), Brendon Burchard/Adam Grant (01:27:30) Public Service Announcements: Chris Mason (https://www.leapodcasts.com/e/analyst-talk-chris-mason-the-silver-lining-analyst/) Abigail W. (https://www.leapodcasts.com/e/analyst-talk-abigail-w-%e2%80%93-the-storytelling-analyst/) Related Links: https://www.hatfield.org/departments/police/ https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/data-driven-approaches-crime-and-traffic-safety-ddacts-operational https://dvicphila.org/(X(1)S(gffd442h5nmxkthpa0o2q4eu))/default.aspx https://www.arcadia.edu/ https://www.insideoutcenter.org/ Books: The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene Mastery by Robert Greene Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets by David Simon Bleeding Out Thomas Abt High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard Think Again by Adam Grant Hidden Potential by Adam Grant Association(s) Mentioned: IALEIA, LEIU, IACP Vendor(s) Mentioned: Contact:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristi-barletta-b05267378/ Transcript:  https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/f5quy97zd28mrvyr/KristiBarletta_transcript.pdf Podcast Writer: Podcast Researcher: Theme Song: Written and Recorded by The Rough & Tumble. Find more of their music at www.theroughandtumble.com. Logo: Designed by Kyle McMullen. Please visit www.moderntype.com for any printable business forms and planners. Podcast Email: leapodcasts@gmail.com  Podcast Webpage: www.leapodcasts.com  Podcast X: @leapodcasts

00:00:25 - Introducing Kristi 00:02:22 - Discovering the law enforcement analysis profession 00:15:16 - Nearly leaving law enforcement before becoming an analyst 00:20:11 - Learning to lead without authority 00:28:18 - Building a new analyst position and identifying gun violence as a priority 00:32:00 - Using data, social networks, and focused strategies to reduce shootings 00:44:16 - When a drug dealer asked police for help preventing retaliation 00:51:41 - Serving on command staff as a civilian analyst 01:04:26 - Leaving Norristown and building another analyst position at Hatfield 01:10:49 - Using data-driven strategies to reduce traffic crashes 01:16:16 - What works in policing and why strategy execution breaks down 01:23:06 - Member of IACP 01:26:44 - Personal Interests:  Reading & Painting 01:29:45 - Words to the World