NOT DONE Data-driven approach

Data-driven approach

Profilers work upwards, starting from evidence collected from the crime scene to develop hypotheses about the likely characteristics, motivatopms amd social background of the offender.

Geographical profiling

A form of data-driven profiling based on the principle of spatial consistency - that an offender’s operational base and possible future offences are revealed by the geographical location of their previous crimes

Investigative psychology

A form of data-driven profiling that matches details from the crime scene with statistical analysis of typical offender behaviour patterns based on psychological theory.

Uses strategies to match the crime scene details to historical crimes:

1. Interpersonal coherence

2. Time and place

3. Forensic awareness

Interpersonal coherence

Consistency in the way an offender behaves with people.

Police can compare features of the offender’s behaviour at the crime scene with the database to see if there are matches so they can identify possible suspects.

Time and place

Key variables to consider.

The time it was committed may indicate the offender’s work schedule.

The place it was committed may indicate where the offender lives.

This information can be matched to suspects in the database.

Forensic awareness

The evidence at the crime scene indicating that the offender has an awareness of how the police investigate crimes.

Someone who tries to remove a fingerprint or conceal a body suggests they have some familiarity with police methods and might be on a database.

S Canter + Heritage

Evidence for investigative psychology

Analysis of 66 SA cases. Data examined using smallest space analysis.

Several behaviours were identified as common in different samples of behaviour like the use of impersonal language and lack of reaction to the victim.

Each individual showed a characteristic pattern of these behaviours and this can help establish whether 2 or more offences were done by the same person.

Supports one of the basic principles of IP that people are consistent in their behaviour.

S Lundrigan + Canter

Evidence to support geographical profiling

Collated information from 120 murder cases involving serial killers in the US. Smallest space analysis revealed spatial consistency in the behaviour of the killers.

The location of each disposal site created a ‘centre of gravity’ because when offenders start from their home base they go in a different direction each time they dispose of a body but all these different sites create a circle effect around the home base.

More noticeable for offenders who travelled short distances.

Supports the view that geographical information can be used to identify an offender.

W May perpetuate racial stereotypes.

A report from Amnesty International into the UK’s policing practices looked at data-driven profiling which is used to help police decide how to focus their resources in investigations.

Suggests that this kind of profiling disproportionately targets black and ethnic minority communities leading to a racial bias. This is because it relies on algorithms based on historical data. That data reflects the structural and institutional racism and discrimination in policing. over many years such as intelligence reports, suspect profiles, stop-and-search and arrest data.

Suggests that data-driven profiling is discriminatory and may no longer be useful in preventing crime.