AC1.2: To assess the usefulness of investigative techniques please pick four of the following and use
the paragraph structures below – each technique has its own subheading that should be underlined:
● Profiling techniques is a method used to identify an offender based upon certain
characteristics or identify a victim type. An offender may leave physical evidence such as:
Bodily fluids or fingerprints at the scene of the crime but they may also leave behavioural
evidence - such as how they've committed the crime or how certain objects are left. Certain
types of profiling such as: Typological profiling, usually done at the crime scene, is an
analysis of how the offender has left the scene. However, Clinical profiling is done at a
separate institution done by psychologists or clinical profilers. Both do not need a lab to be
conducted in an investigation. There are other types of profiling techniques such as:
Geographical profiling or investigative psychology. These profiling techniques are typically
used on violent crimes but can be used on less serious offences.
Evaluation of Profiling Techniques
● Advantages of using profiling techniques maybe: conclusively links an individual to a crime,
potentially helps predict future offences allowing offenders to be caught earlier and avoiding
further victims and helps the police target their resources and prioritise suspects. However,
disadvantages of using profiling techniques is that they are based upon assumptions, the
real offender could not fit the profile published, relies heavily on consistency - that the
offender will consistently behave or commit the crime in a clear pattern and has limited
methods - there are only a few ways a criminal can be profiled by investigators reducing the
accuracy of the profile. Ted Bundy is an example of how profiling can be helpful to find a
criminal His killing spree spanned years and hundreds, if not thousands, of miles. In 1978,
two FBI specialists utilized their profile of him to place him on the top 10 most wanted list.
Using this assessment of his methods, psychological makeup, and known movements, the
Bureau pinpointed his victim selection and killing patterns. Bundy favored venues that
attracted the young, beautiful women he targeted—discos, college campuses, and resorts.
Because the FBI carefully analyzed Bundy’s style of killing and had a firm understanding of
his psychological makeup, canvassing the public and posting information about him led to
his final capture in February of 1978.
Profiling techniques linked to the brief of John Smith
● In accordance with the brief, the detectives and criminal psychologists would be the ones to
introduce any profiling techniques to the case to try and find smith. Problems the police will
face using this technique is that they are finding someone based upon assumptions
therefore they may catch the wrong person.
● Surveillance techniques are investigative techniques that use camera, observation or video
to catch someone. The use of CCTV to monitor someone that may be a suspect. Police often
use CCTV footage in criminal investigations since it can give 24-hour coverage of a location,
which may provide a visual record of the crime which helps identify the perpetrator. There
are two types of surveillance; covert surveillance (Planned surveillance on a particular
person) and observation (Not pre-planned, typically unexpected when an officer sees
the paragraph structures below – each technique has its own subheading that should be underlined:
● Profiling techniques is a method used to identify an offender based upon certain
characteristics or identify a victim type. An offender may leave physical evidence such as:
Bodily fluids or fingerprints at the scene of the crime but they may also leave behavioural
evidence - such as how they've committed the crime or how certain objects are left. Certain
types of profiling such as: Typological profiling, usually done at the crime scene, is an
analysis of how the offender has left the scene. However, Clinical profiling is done at a
separate institution done by psychologists or clinical profilers. Both do not need a lab to be
conducted in an investigation. There are other types of profiling techniques such as:
Geographical profiling or investigative psychology. These profiling techniques are typically
used on violent crimes but can be used on less serious offences.
Evaluation of Profiling Techniques
● Advantages of using profiling techniques maybe: conclusively links an individual to a crime,
potentially helps predict future offences allowing offenders to be caught earlier and avoiding
further victims and helps the police target their resources and prioritise suspects. However,
disadvantages of using profiling techniques is that they are based upon assumptions, the
real offender could not fit the profile published, relies heavily on consistency - that the
offender will consistently behave or commit the crime in a clear pattern and has limited
methods - there are only a few ways a criminal can be profiled by investigators reducing the
accuracy of the profile. Ted Bundy is an example of how profiling can be helpful to find a
criminal His killing spree spanned years and hundreds, if not thousands, of miles. In 1978,
two FBI specialists utilized their profile of him to place him on the top 10 most wanted list.
Using this assessment of his methods, psychological makeup, and known movements, the
Bureau pinpointed his victim selection and killing patterns. Bundy favored venues that
attracted the young, beautiful women he targeted—discos, college campuses, and resorts.
Because the FBI carefully analyzed Bundy’s style of killing and had a firm understanding of
his psychological makeup, canvassing the public and posting information about him led to
his final capture in February of 1978.
Profiling techniques linked to the brief of John Smith
● In accordance with the brief, the detectives and criminal psychologists would be the ones to
introduce any profiling techniques to the case to try and find smith. Problems the police will
face using this technique is that they are finding someone based upon assumptions
therefore they may catch the wrong person.
● Surveillance techniques are investigative techniques that use camera, observation or video
to catch someone. The use of CCTV to monitor someone that may be a suspect. Police often
use CCTV footage in criminal investigations since it can give 24-hour coverage of a location,
which may provide a visual record of the crime which helps identify the perpetrator. There
are two types of surveillance; covert surveillance (Planned surveillance on a particular
person) and observation (Not pre-planned, typically unexpected when an officer sees
