Offender profiling
- Investigative tool employed by the police when solving crimes
- Main aim to narrow the list of likely suspects
The top down approach- American
- Organization due to work carried out by the FBI in 1970’s
- Gathered interviews with 36 sexually motivated murders and concluded
that the data could be categories into organised or disorganised crimes
Organised
- Victim deliberately targeted
- High degree of control during crime
- Little evidence or clues left behind at the scene
- Above average intelligence
- Socially and sexually competent
Disorganized
- Little evidence of planning
- Little control during crime
- Lower IQ
- Unskilled
- Sexual dysfunction and failed relationships
- Often live close to where the offence took place
Constructing an FBI profile
1. Data assimilation- evidence
2. Crime scene classification- organised or disorganised
3. Crime reconstruction- events, behaviour
4. Profile generation- background, physical
A03)
+) research support
- David canter et al conducted an analysis of 100 US murders
- Revealed that there does seem to be a subset of features of many serial
killings- matched the FBI’s belief of organised offenders
However
-) many studies suggest that the organised and disorganised types are not
mutually exclusive- Godwin says its hard to classify killers.
+) wider application to other crimes- Meketa (2017)- top down profiling has been
applied to burglary- 85% rise in solved crimes
The bottom up approach- British
, Aims to generate a picture of the offender e.g. characteristics, routine behaviour
and social background
1. Investigative psychology
- Attempt to apply statistical procedure, psychological theory and analysis
the crime scene
- Establish patterns of behaviour, specific details and links
Interpersonal coherence- way the offender behaviour, interact with victim, time
and place
Forensics awareness- finds evidence e.g. DNA
2. Geographical profiling
- Location of crime scene- crime mapping, spatial consistency
- Circle theory
- Assumption- serial killers restrict their work to geographical areas they are
familiar with
Canter and Larkin
- The marauder- operates close proximity to their home base
- The commuter- likely to have travelled a distance away from their usual
residence
Spatial decision- can help show if crime was planned or opportunistic
- Mode of transport, employment status, age
A03)
+) research evidence for investigative psychology
- Canter and Heritage- conducted an analysis of 66 sexual assault cases
- Data was examined using smallest space analysis
- Several behaviours identified as common and individual had a
characteristic pattern
- Supports one of the basic principles of investigative psychology- people
are consistent in their behaviour
+) research evidence for geographical profiling
- Lundrigan and Canter- collected info- 120 murder cased serial killer in US
- Revealed spatial consistency in behaviour of killers
- Location- effect was more noticeable for offenders who travelled short
distances
- Supports the view that geographical info can be used to identify an
offender
-) geographical information insufficient- may not lead to capture of offender
- may not be helpful may itself. Relies on data that police provide.
- Investigative tool employed by the police when solving crimes
- Main aim to narrow the list of likely suspects
The top down approach- American
- Organization due to work carried out by the FBI in 1970’s
- Gathered interviews with 36 sexually motivated murders and concluded
that the data could be categories into organised or disorganised crimes
Organised
- Victim deliberately targeted
- High degree of control during crime
- Little evidence or clues left behind at the scene
- Above average intelligence
- Socially and sexually competent
Disorganized
- Little evidence of planning
- Little control during crime
- Lower IQ
- Unskilled
- Sexual dysfunction and failed relationships
- Often live close to where the offence took place
Constructing an FBI profile
1. Data assimilation- evidence
2. Crime scene classification- organised or disorganised
3. Crime reconstruction- events, behaviour
4. Profile generation- background, physical
A03)
+) research support
- David canter et al conducted an analysis of 100 US murders
- Revealed that there does seem to be a subset of features of many serial
killings- matched the FBI’s belief of organised offenders
However
-) many studies suggest that the organised and disorganised types are not
mutually exclusive- Godwin says its hard to classify killers.
+) wider application to other crimes- Meketa (2017)- top down profiling has been
applied to burglary- 85% rise in solved crimes
The bottom up approach- British
, Aims to generate a picture of the offender e.g. characteristics, routine behaviour
and social background
1. Investigative psychology
- Attempt to apply statistical procedure, psychological theory and analysis
the crime scene
- Establish patterns of behaviour, specific details and links
Interpersonal coherence- way the offender behaviour, interact with victim, time
and place
Forensics awareness- finds evidence e.g. DNA
2. Geographical profiling
- Location of crime scene- crime mapping, spatial consistency
- Circle theory
- Assumption- serial killers restrict their work to geographical areas they are
familiar with
Canter and Larkin
- The marauder- operates close proximity to their home base
- The commuter- likely to have travelled a distance away from their usual
residence
Spatial decision- can help show if crime was planned or opportunistic
- Mode of transport, employment status, age
A03)
+) research evidence for investigative psychology
- Canter and Heritage- conducted an analysis of 66 sexual assault cases
- Data was examined using smallest space analysis
- Several behaviours identified as common and individual had a
characteristic pattern
- Supports one of the basic principles of investigative psychology- people
are consistent in their behaviour
+) research evidence for geographical profiling
- Lundrigan and Canter- collected info- 120 murder cased serial killer in US
- Revealed spatial consistency in behaviour of killers
- Location- effect was more noticeable for offenders who travelled short
distances
- Supports the view that geographical info can be used to identify an
offender
-) geographical information insufficient- may not lead to capture of offender
- may not be helpful may itself. Relies on data that police provide.
