OFFENDER PROFILING AND THE EVOLUTION OF INVESTIGATION

1
OFFENDER PROFILING AND THE EVOLUTION OF
INVESTIGATION

• David Canter, Centre for Investigative
  Psychology, The University of Liverpool, UK
• Kristen Welch, Sam Houston State University,
  USA
• Robert Keppel, Criminal Justice Program, Seattle
  University, USA

2
Phases in the Developmental History of
Investigations

• Phase 1 Observation
• Phase 2 Classification
• Phase 3 Knowledge about Criminals and their
  Actions
• Phase 4 Inductive Inference
• Phase 5 Decision Support

3
Phases in the Developmental History of
Investigations

• Phase 1 Observation
• Phase 2 Classification
• Phase 3 Knowledge about Criminals and their
  Actions
• Phase 4 Inductive Inference
• Phase 5 Decision Support

4
(No Transcript)
5
Profile of a Witch Used to identify witches in
Europe from 1400s to 1700s Elderly female
beyond child bearing range Poor Lives on edge
of town Displays knowledge of herbal
medicines Mark of the Devil (insensitive
spot) Steals mens potency, causing impotence in
the surrounding areas Collects a great number of
male members and keeps them in a birds nest or
box (Cyriax, 1993 Kramer Sprenger, 1971
Ruiz, 2004).
6
Theme A
Signature
Modus Operandi
Theme F
Behavioural Pattern
Typicality
Theme C
Theme E
Theme D
7
The Munsell Colour Circle
An analogy that shows how themes (hues) can be
distinguished without the need for pure types.
Base rates i.e. what is typical of the entities
being studied.
Distinct themes
8
Phases in the Developmental History of
Investigations

• Phase 1 Observation
• Phase 2 Classification
• Phase 3 Knowledge about Criminals and their
  Actions
• Phase 4 Inductive Inference
• Phase 5 Decision Support

9
(No Transcript)
10
Lombrosos (1876) Profile of Murderers An
aquiline beak of a nose Fleshy swollen, and
protruding lips Small receding chin Dark hair and
bushy eyebrows that meet across the nose Little
or no beard Displays an abundance of wrinkles,
even in those younger than thirty 4 to 5 times
greater taste sensibility than the average
person A cynical attitude, completely lacking
remorse More likely to bear a tattoo Attaches no
importance to dress and are frequently dirty and
shabby
11
1888 - 1964
12
Kretschmers Somatotypology (1925) Cycloid
Personality heavyset, soft body type vacillate
between normality and abnormality lack
spontaneity sophistication most likely to
commit nonviolent property crimes Schizoid
Personality most likely have athletic, muscular
bodies some can be thin and lean schizophrenic com
mit violent type of offenses Displastic
Personality mixed group highly emotional often
unable to control themselves mostly commit sexual
offenses or crimes of passion
13
Phases in the Developmental History of
Investigations

• Phase 1 Observation
• Phase 2 Classification
• Phase 3 Knowledge about Criminals and their
  Actions
• Phase 4 Inductive Inference
• Phase 5 Decision Support

14
(No Transcript)
15
Hans Gross 1847 -1915
16
In Criminal Psychology (1934), Gross illustrated
the importance of determining the offenders
character, his wishes and beliefs. He
contended Is it not known that every deed is an
outcome of the total character of the doer? Is it
not considered that the deed and the character
are correlative concepts, and that the character
by means of which the deed is to be established
cannot be inferred from the deed alone?... Each
particular deed is thinkable only when a
determinate character of the doer is brought in
relation with it a certain character
predisposes to determinate deeds, another
character makes them unthinkable and unrelatable
with this or that person (1934 55-56)
17
In the case of a pickpocket or theft at a ball,
rout, or gathering in a home, Gross advised
detectives to search for an innocent looking
woman because females were often used as an
accomplice to hide stolen items (Adam, 1934). Or
if a burglary took place and the watchdog was
unaccounted for, Gross advised investigators to
take stock of wandering people who are in the
possession of a bitch and have been seen in the
vicinity of the place of the crime (1934 455),
arguing that vagabonds and wandering tribes kept
female dogs to lure away watchdogs.
18
Phases in the Developmental History of
Investigations

• Phase 1 Observation
• Phase 2 Classification
• Phase 3 Knowledge about Criminals and their
  Actions
• Phase 4 Inductive Inference
• Phase 5 Decision Support

19
APPROACHES TO INFERENCE
Actions
?
?
Characteristics
Reveal the complexity of the concept of motive
20
APPROACHES TO INFERENCE
Actions are the Characteristics
Actions
Characteristics
21
Actions are the Characteristics e.g. controls
victim without force
Actions
Characteristics
Essentially Instrumental
22
Approaches to Inference 2
Actions
Characteristics Cause the Actions
Characteristics
23
Approaches to Inference 2
Actions
Characteristics Cause the Actions e.g. nasty
people commit nasty crimes
Characteristics
Essentially emotional
24
Approaches to Inference 3
Actions and Characteristics share a process
Actions
I.Q.
Characteristics
Often Intellectual
25
Approaches to Inference 4
Actions lead indirectly to Characteristics
Actions
Stolen Goods
Characteristics
Often Experiential
26
Actions
Approaches to Inference 5
?
Actions and Characteristics part of same
unfolding process
?
Characteristics
Personal narrative
The development of interpersonal transactions
27
Phases in the Developmental History of
Investigations

• Phase 1 Observation
• Phase 2 Classification
• Phase 3 Knowledge about Criminals and their
  Actions
• Phase 4 Inductive Inference
• Phase 5 Decision Support

28
MODUS OPERANDI PRO FORMA Please tick all boxes
that apply and add comments where applicable. How
did the offender gain access to the
property? Forced entry Entry via front of
house Entry via rear of house Which room in house
did offender gain entry via? _____________________
_________ Insecure premises. Details
____________________________________________ (via
open window/door) Secondary insecurity. Details
___________________________________________ (Doors
closed but not locked, concealing key in
garden) Window. Details _________________________
_____________________________ (force or
insecurity) Climbed to entry point. Details
___________________________________________ Conned
access. Details ________________________________
_________________ Were any implements used to
facilitate access? Tool carried. Details
__________________________________________________
_ (Brought to scene by offender) Tool scene.
Details _________________________________________
___________ (Tool improvised at scene) Was the
house occupied at time of burglary?
_________________________________ If not, how
long was the property vacant for?
________________________________ When did offence
take place, (approx)? ____________________________
_________ If house was occupied at time of
burglary, did tenants see/hear anything?
_________ If so, what and state any outcomes.
__________________________________________________
______________________ Who are the tenants? Male
(lone) Female (lone) Couple Family Elderly
person(s)
29
Theme A
Signature
Modus Operandi
Theme F
Behavioural Pattern
Typicality
Theme C
Theme E
Theme D
30
The Traditionial detective fiction idea of
Psychological contributions to Investigations
Expert ?? Investigation
31
A more appropriate model for Investigative
Psychology
Investigative Process
Identification of Options
Problem Formulation
Elicitation of Information
?
Scientific Knowledge
?
?
Scientist Investigation
32
iOPS An interactive Geo-Behavioural Profiling
System
1. M.O. 'heat map'
2. Identify offence series
3. Prioritize suspects using Dragnet M.O.
4. Social Network Analysis
Offender ID Address Probability MO Match
124 Location A 0.28574311864 0
427 Location B 0.27038233898 0
427 Location C 0.26035169492 0
226 Location D 0.25577861017 0
48 Location E 0.23282991525 0
124 Location F 0.22445984746 0.3
124 Location G 0.21932662712 0