Forensics - Evaluating Offender Profiling (limitations) Flashcards
What did Holmes find? Providing limitations to offender profiling
Holmes (1989) found that only 88 out of 192 cases where offender profiling was used, resulted in arrest. This is an effectiveness of only 46%.
Among those 88 cases, the profile was used to make the arrest in only 15 cases (17%)
What is the limitation of OP in relation to specific crimes?
Profiles can only be used for a small amount of crimes such as rape or murder - crimes like theft and robbery are difficult to investigate using profiling because the motive is material gain.
How has OP been misused and misunderstood?
The aim of OP has been misrepresented (Douglas et al 1986)
The concept of profiling is to not identify one SPECIFIC person; the aim of profiling it to identify a specific TYPE of person.
What did Copson find in terms of OP applicability?
A report by Copson (1995) stated that only 14% of senior police officers believed that profiling aided them in solving cases.
The Rachel Nickell murder case is an example of profiling being misused. What was the case about?
This case is an example of where offender profiling was abused.
In 1992 Rachel Nickell was murdered in front of her two-year-old child.
Paul Britton developed a profile of a person and it was broadcast on TV.
What were the consequences of Britton’s profile being broadcast on TV?
Four callers identified a man, Colin Stagg, as the offender.
There was no forensic evidence (DNA, fingerprints, etc.) that linked him to the crime
A sting was set up using an undercover policewoman.
She befriended Stagg in an attempt to get him to confess to the crime.
What was the outcome of the Rachel Nickell murder case?
Stagg never confessed but he was still charged for the murder
In court, the judge eliminated the charges and criticised the police’s tactics. In 2008, Robert Napper admitted to killing Rachel .
