Dr. bel Pedroza
Gangs/ Intel Analyst
Dr. Pedroza is currently employed by the Pflugerville Police Department (outside of Austin) as the Crime Intelligence Analyst.
Dr. Pedroza holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of North Texas, a Master of Science in Criminal Justice specializing in Crime Analysis from Tiffin University and is a Doctor of Criminal Justice specializing in Homeland Security. Dr. Pedroza’s dissertation was A Qualitative Study on the Threats Transnational Criminal Organizations and Texas Criminal Gangs Pose and Their Impact Along the Texas-Mexico Border.
Dr. Pedroza started her career with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) as a Correctional Officer at the Huntsville Unit in 2012. In 2014, Dr. Pedroza promoted to the Safe Prisons/PREA Manager and Security Threat Group (STG) Officer aka Gang Investigator at the Byrd Unit.
In 2017, Dr. Pedroza accepted a position as a Crime Analyst with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). Dr. Pedroza through her time with DPS supported the 24-Hour Watch Center, Missing and Unidentified Persons under the Texas Rangers Analytical Support Unit, and finally the Texas State Capitol under the Capitol Region. All while assisting Troopers, Special Agents, and Texas Rangers.
In 2022, Dr. Pedroza accepted the position as the Crime Intelligence Analyst with Pflugerville PD. Dr. Pedroza has spearheaded the creation of the Gang Intelligence Unit, Criminal Intelligence Unit, and joint intelligence meetings and operations with surrounding agencies.
Dr. Pedroza is the Texas Representative for the International Latino Gang Investigators Association (ILGIA), the Vice President of the Texas Lonestar Chapter of the International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts (IALEIA), Central Region Training Coordinator for the Texas Narcotics Officers Association (TNOA), member of the International Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Investigator’s Association (IOMGIA), member of the International Association of Crime Analysts (IACA), member of the Texas Law Enforcement Analyst Network (TXLEAN), member of the Correctional Gang Intelligence and Information Sharing Network (CGIISN), member of the Arizona Gang Investigators Association (AZGIA) and has been a Region Director and a current member of the Texas Gang Investigator’s Association (TGIA), Dr. Pedroza started training Correctional Officers while with TDCJ. Dr. Pedroza is a TCOLE Instructor and has instructed at the TGIA Annual Conference, the Southwest Texas Fusion Center (SWTFC) FusionCon, the IALEIA Lonestar State Symposium. and is a certified TXGang Instructor.