Inspiring Conversations with Laura Richards of Crime Analyst

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Richards.

Hi Laura, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m originally from London and lived and worked there for many years. I started working at the Sexual Offences Section in SO11 New Scotland Yard in 1996. I had to do a placement year before finals at the University of Bath as part of my Psychology and Sociology BSc. I was determined to do my placement at NSY and they offered me the role of a college based sandwich student for one year. I loved the work – I was the first in and last out – and they asked me to come back and head up the unit. I jumped at the opportunity.

I was the head of the Sexual Offences Section, founder and head of the Homicide Prevention Unit and then the Violent Crime Intelligence and Analysis Unit which were pan London Units. I worked with the FBI for two months at Quantico working on the Behavioural Analysis Units and was trained and mentored by some of the best in profiling behaviour.

I created a pioneering risk identification, assessment and management model for the police called the DASH which stands for Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Harassment and Honour Based Violence Risk Model. It is a multi-agency risk tool kit and I have trained thousands on it’s use including first responders. In London, we reduced domestic violence murders by 58% – 33 people less dead – for 13 years using the DASH in the Metropolitan Police Services.

I authored the book Policing Domestic Violence and have changed laws 10 times to protect women and children including new laws of stalking and coercive control in England and Wales and coercive control laws here in America in numerous states and Australia.

Having changed the law on stalking I set up the first national stalking advocacy service, Paladin, for high risk victims of stalking in the world.

I came to Los Angeles in 2015 and worked on a re-investigation into the death of JonBenet Ramsey which was picked up by CBS. When the show aired in 2016 it eclipsed the Emmy’s. I then worked on the re-investigation into the death of Caylee Anthony, Dirty John the podcast, and I am consultant producer on Dirty John, The Dirty Truth. I have been working with Debra Newell for many years and Tonia Bales, the first wife of John Meehan. Together we re-investigated John Meehan and documented it in The First Wife: John Meehan’s Reign of Terror, which is available on Audible.

I have been here ever since. I co-created the award winning podcast Real Crime Profile and I launched my own award winning podcast, Crime Analyst. I am mainstreaming my knowledge and expertise regarding coercive control, domestic abuse and stalking, risk and homicide to help women and children and I continue to advise legislators regarding new coercive control laws and serial domestic abusers and stalkers as well as delivering training.

I love living and working in LA – being close to the mountains and the ocean is wonderful and I love hiking and beach runs with my goldendoodle, Beatrice

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s been a relatively smooth road but there have definitely been some bumps along the way! It’s not for the faint hearted starting a new life oversea but I love learning a new way of life and culture, getting to know the people of this vibrant and diverse city and it’s heart beat. Learning to drive the Cali way and pass the driving theory test and behind the wheel was no joke as well as getting to grips with the tax system, visas and health insurance (which I still struggle to understand – does anyone?!)

Setting up a new business in a new city definitely has it’s challenges! It is literally like learning life again and having two lives!

It is well worth it though! LA is home. I love it here. My little family are here and I love the can-do culture in LA, being close to the ocean and mountains and of course the sunshine! There’s not much of that in London! I love to work hard and play hard and being able to drive to and ski in the mountains and be close to the ocean, my two great passions – and share that with my toddler son AND tell great crime stories on my podcast Crime Analyst which helps so many people – I am literally living my dream!

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a criminal behavioural analyst who was trained at New Scotland and the FBI.
I created the DASH Risk Identification, Assessment and Management with is a homicide prevention toolkit where we reduced domestic murders by 58% in London.

I still deliver expert led training on risk assessment, coercive control and stalking which is virtual training open to everyone. I have new classes starting in September. These are life saving and life changing classes.

I launched my baby, Crime Analyst podcast in 2021 and won the Listener’s Choice at the True Crime Awards in 2024. I am extremely proud of that as I launched Crime Analyst whilst being pregnant and brining my other baby boy into the world!

As a mumma and business owner the struggle is real and it made the award even sweeter that it was voted for by my lovely listeners.

I am an accomplished and experienced storyteller who has been telling crime stories for years in policing classrooms all around the world and now I have mainstreamed that on my podcast. I have always centered the victims and seeing that shift finally in the true crime world has been incredible.

In each episode and series, I share my analytical insight and expertise in each episode. I have heard from thousands of women about how I have helped change their life and in some cases save their life.

I have also led successful campaigns to change laws and keep dangerous psychopaths in prison asking my listeners to take action and write to legislators.

My work is different. It is not just about telling a gory m urder story. It’s about prevention and educating people using my psychology degree including a MSc in Forensic and Legal Psychology and my lifetime of experience of analysing, reviewing and advising on cases to help people understand why it happened, the psychology and how we can prevent it from happening again.

My work is all about spotting the warning signs and early intervention and prevention. I have taken that to the next level to close criminalisation gaps particularly regarding women and children’ experience of male violence and coercive control and stalking. It is incredible what we have achieved together.
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I launched the Crime Analyst Squad on Patreon in April 2024 for those who want more deep dives and exclusive episodes and want to be activists and advocates. It is a dynamic and fast growing community where we are literally changing the game www.patreon.com/CrimeAnalyst

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Amazing holidays in Wales with my mum and sister and my mum’s best friend and her children.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.crime-analyst.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimeanalyst/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566851816149
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-richards-b659611/
• Twitter: https://x.com/thecrimeanalyst
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@crimeanalyst
• Other: https://www.thelaurarichards.com/

Image Credits
Elizabeth Lippman