Top Down Approach

Question 1

What is the top down approach

Answer 1

• FBI 1970 - interviewed 36 sexually motivated murders & used data to create 2 categories ( O & D)
• narrows a list of suspects
• scene & evidence analysed to generate hypothesis of characteristics of offender

Question 2

Explain offender types

Answer 2

Organised-
• planning, high IQ, socially & sexually content, married + kids (usually), little evidence left behind
Disorganised-
• lots of evidence, unplanned, low IQ, live alone, body remains at scene, sexual dysfunction

Question 3

Stages to FBI profile construction

Answer 3

1. Data assimilation - review evidence
2. Crime scene classification - O or D
3. Crime reconstruction- order of events
4. Profile generation - create hypothesis about offender

Question 4

Strength
- adaptive to other crimes

Answer 4

Maketa repots top down recently applied to burglary’s leading to 85% rise in solved cases
Added 2 categories - opportunistic (new/young offender) & interpersonal (offender knows victim)

Question 5

Strength
- research supporting

Answer 5

Canter et al
Analysed 100 us serial killers
Smallest space analysis used to assess co-existence of 39 aspects of serial killings
Reviewed whether there was murder weapons, body at the scene
Found behaviours listed matching organised criminals