Cantor's Approach to Crime Analysis

Cantor's Research-Based Approach

  • Overview: Cantor's approach to crime analysis is distinguished from the FBI's research-based methods. Although there are some overlaps, there are also notable differences.

  • Four Steps of Cantor's Analysis:

    1. Examine Past Crime Scene Records: Review records of previous cases to identify salient (important) features pertinent to crimes.
    2. Establish Frequency and Co-occurrence of Crime Features: This involves:
    • Identifying common behaviors in specific crime types (e.g., sexually motivated murders).
    • Determining which features occurred frequently and which were rare.
    • Analyzing the relationship between different crime features (e.g., if an offender tied up a victim, what other behaviors accompanied this action?).
    1. Statistical Analysis: Cantor employed a statistical technique called small space analysis to cluster identified features into types, allowing for comparison with features in current cases.
    2. Compare Features Across Cases: This helped to establish patterns and typologies in crime behavior.

  • Findings on Single Offender Homicides:

    • Approximately 12% of offenders had prior military service.
    • About 23% had previously been married.
    • Cantor developed typologies that, while similar to organized/disorganized classifications, were termed instrumental vs. expressive:
    • Instrumental: Offenders aimed to achieve something specific from the crime (e.g., a reward).
    • Expressive: Crimes carried out in a fit of rage or emotional response, often impulsively.

  • Further Classification of Instrumental Offenders:

    • Instrumental Opportunistic: Limited planning, typically results in crimes of opportunity.
    • Instrumental Cognitive: Involves thorough planning and consideration before the crime.
    • Expressive Impulsive: Offender acts out of a momentary emotional state (e.g., anger).

  • Empirical Categories and Characteristics:

    • Evidence-based features linked to types:
    • Instrumental Opportunistic:
      • Often involve female victims.
      • Often manual attacks.
      • Offenders typically have records of theft, familiarity with the crime area, and may know the victim.
    • Expressive Impulsive:
      • Offenders may be married at the time of the offense.

  • Key Insight: The distinctions made by Cantor are not merely theoretical. They are grounded in data derived from empirical evidence in actual cases, establishing a solid basis for understanding criminal behavior patterns.