Offender profiling

The top down approach definition

A approach to profiling originated in the US as a result of work carried out by the FBI,gathered interviews from in depth interviews with sexually motivated serial killers. It classifies criminals into two types

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Organised offenders

Evidence of premeditation, victim is targeted, crime reflects the criminal having a type. High control, little evidence left behind, above average intelligence, skilled occupation with family and often children

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Dis-organised offenders

Little evidence of planning, spontaneous, crime scene has lots of evidence left behind and they tend to have lower than noramal IQ. Unskilled employment or unemployed and tend to live alone often close to crime scene

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4 stages to constructing an FBI profile

Data assimilation- Profiler reviews the evidence. Crime scene classification- as either organised or disorganized. Crime reconstruction- Hypotheses in terms of sequence of events, behavior etc. Profile generation- Hypotheses linked to likely offender

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Criticism is that it only applies to particular crimes

Best suited to crime scenes that reveal important details about the suspect such as ****. More common offences such as burglary dont work becuase the resulting crime scene reveals little about the offender.

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Based on outdated models of personality

Typology classification system based on assumption offenders have patterns of behaviour and motivations that remain consistent. It is naive, based on static models of personality likely to have poor validity when identifying possible suspects

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Canter- Evidence does not support the disorganised offender

Using smallest space analysis, analysed data from 100 murders in the USA. FIndings suggested distinct organised type, not the same for disorganised, undermines classification system. Nevertheless its still used as a model for US professional profiler

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Godwin (2002)- Classification is too simplistic

Asks how police investigators would classify a killer with high intelignece and sexual competence, prompted others to propose more detailed typological models.

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New more detailed typology models-

Holmes suggests there are four types of serial killers; visionary, mission, hedonistic and power/control. Keppel and Walter focus more on different motivations killers might have rather than trying to determine specific types

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Canter- Original sample is to small

The typology approach was developed using interviews with 36 killers, 25 being serial. This is too small, and unrepresentative, not sensible to rely on self report data with convicted killers (demand characteristics etc.)

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Bottom up approach definition

generate a picture of the offender- their likely characteristics routine behaviour and social background through systematic analysis of evidence at the crime scene. Grounded in psychological evidence

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Investigative psychology- general

aim is to establish pattern of behaviour that are likely to occur- or co exist across crime scenes, this is in order to develop a statistical database which acts as a baseline for comparison

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Interpersonal coherence

the way an offender behaves at the scene including how they interact with the victim may reflect their behaviour in more everyday situations

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Significance of time and place

The significance of time and place is also a key variable, and as in geographical profiling may indicate where the offender is living

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Forensic awareness

Finally forensics awareness describes those who have been the subject of police interrogation before; their behaviour may denote how mindful they are of covering their tracks

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Geographical profiling- general

Rossmo uses information to do with the location of linked crime scenes to make inferences about the likely home or operational base of the offender- known as crime mapping

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Canters circle theory

proposed two models of offender behaviour. The marauder- Who operates in close proximity to their home base • The commuter- Who is likely to have travelled a distance away from their usual residence. likely to form a circle near usual residence

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Assumption of geographical profiling

assumption that serial offenders will restrict their work to familiar geographical places, thus the need to understand their spatial pattern of behaviour provides investigators with a centre gravity which is likely to include the offenders base

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Lundrigan and Canter- Supporting evidence for geographical profiling

Collated information from 120 murder cases. Smallest space analysis revealed spatial consistency in the behaviour, the offender base was invariably located in the centre of the patternmore noticeable for offenders who travelled short distances

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Canter- scientific basis-

more objective and scientific than the top down approach as it is more grounded in evidence and psychological theory and less driven by speculation and hunches

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Wider application

Can be applied to a wide range of offences. Techniques like smallest space analysis and the principle of spatial consistency can be used in the investigation of crimes such as burglary and theft as well as more serious offences

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Mixed results for profiling

Kocsis et al found that chemistry students produced a more accurate offender profile on a solved murder case than experienced senior detectives

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Copson (1995)

Copson surveyed 48 police forces and found that the advice provided by the profiler was judged to be useful in 83% of cases but only in 3% did it lead to identification of the offender

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Kocsis et al

Kocsis et al found that chemistry students produced a more accurate offender profile on a solved murder case than experienced senior detectives

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Evidence supporting investigative psychology- Canter and Heritage

Content analysis of sexual assault cases, used smallest space analysis to identify characteristics as common such as impersonable language. Theese occur in different patterns in individuals, leads to understand how offenders behaviour may change

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Offender profiling

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