Offender profiling Flashcards
Offender profiling
A method of working out the characteristic of an offender by examining the characteristic of the crime and crime scene
Top-Down approach
An FBI approach
Narrows down row field of investigation
Looks at the bigger picture and narrows it down
- Data assimilation
- Crime scene classification
- Crime reconstruction
- Profile generation
- Data assimilation
Data is collected from the crime scene
- Crime scene classification
Profiler makes decisions and organises info
(Organised or disorganised offender)
- Crime reconstruction
A profile is constructed alongside a hypothesis about what happened in the crime
- Profile generation
Match a profile against existing data
Sketch offender including demographics
Physical characteristics and behavioural habits
COPSON (1995)
Used top-down approach
82% of police officers interviewed and said it was useful
90% said they’d use it again
Organised typology
Offender leads an orderly life and killed/attacks after a critical event
Involves planning and control- little evidence left behind
More likely to be employed in a skilled job and intelligent
Mostly the eldest child in the family who experienced inconsistent discipline
Disorganised typology
Commit the crime in a moment of passion
No evidence of pre-planning
Not socially competent and lives alone
Often the youngest in the family who suffered harsh discipline
Poor work history
Bottom-up approach
British approach- CANTER
Starts with small details and helps create a bigger picture
Doesn’t make assumptions
More objective and reliable
Identifies consistencies with offenders
Two key elements:
1. Investigative psychology
2. Geographical profiling
- Investigating psychology
5 key elements analyse a crime
1. Forensic awareness- if they leave little or no evidence
2. Time and place- understands the lifestyle of the criminal
3. Criminal Career- Experience
4. Interpersonal coherence- Assumes offending behaviour is shown in normal lives
5. Criminal characteristics- Putting offenders in categories
- Geographical profiling
Based on the principle of spatial consistency
An offender’s operational base and future offences are revealed by previous crime
Two types; marauder and commuter
Marauder
Commits a crime in their confined area
Operated within their spatial awareness
Likely to have an anchor point from which they operate
Commuter
Commits crimes over large areas
Crosses cultural and psychological boundaries
Involves complex hunting strategies
Harder to geographically profile
