How Geographical Profiling Can Help in the Investigation of Crimes and the Identification of Criminals - Essay Example

GEOGRAPHICAL PROFILING of How Geographical Profiling Can Help in the Investigation of Crimes and the Identification of Criminals Geographical profiling is defined as a crime investigation tool used by experienced crime investigators to analyze sites of serial crimes and identify possible residential areas of the offenders (Wang 2005, p.119). Geographical profiling also helps in tracking the offenders’ preferred locations like work, social amenities and movement routes. The task of geographical profiling is usually accomplished by experienced geographic profilers who examine the recorded information of serial crimes with regard to a common area. In essence, geographical profiling involves mathematical applications in analyzing the location of the crimes and nature of the environment where the crime is involved. Geographical profiling also studies the behaviours of individuals in the neighbourhood of the serial crime to identify the exact area and individual suspected to commit the crime. Geographical profiling is special in that it helps in investigation procedures by reducing the volume of possible factors that tend to identify the region and the offender of a particular crime. Geographical profiling is also very efficient as it assists in minimizing wastage of time and resources used in the investigation process (Spencer & Thompson 2008, 53). Effectiveness of the geographical profiling relies on the scrutiny of a minimum of five serial crime cases reported to occur in the same geographic location. Analysis of the data obtained is done through environmental understanding and psychological knowhow of the geographical profilers. Before geographical profiling can start, a geographic profiler needs to organize a number of possible guidelines that will help in the process. The first guideline involves the preparation of a geographic profile. This kind of profile assists the investigator in identifying the geographic epicentre of investigation. Geographic epicentre identifies possible home and work location of the offender. In addition geographical profiling helps in identification of the common path often used by the offender. The second guideline calls for identification of catchment area of the within the possible crime site. Catchment area defines distribution of institutions, shops and schools within the geographical profile. Catchment area further provides a detailed perimeter for investigation. The last guideline is the construction of maps related to the site of the crime. Maps also help the in strengthening of cases upon presentation in the courtroom. The map also provides evidence links between the previous reports of serial cases with the current under investigation (Youngs & Canter 2008, p 26). In the views of Thurler (2010), mathematical techniques can be used in line with three cases of serial crime to help geographical profilers to predict the next possible location of the crime. Use of advanced mathematical equations can also help the police in locating the possible institution near the crime scene. Geographical profiling method of crime investigation works under the circle theory of environmental range (Kocsis 2007, p 349). The theory states that provided a high affirmation that offender of a particular serial crime routinely maintain their initial environmental areas of crime. The circle theory of environmental range classifies offenders in two models, commuters and marauders (Turvey 2011, p 88). In the context of circle theory of environment range, marauder model is where a criminal does not travel away from his common perimeter and will always commit crimes within his/her environment. Turvey (2011, p 88) elaborates that commuter model traces offenders who always travel over long distance at the verge of desire to commit crime. Abelius (2011, p 27) reports that the circle theory of environmental range helps in determining the extreme journeys ever made by the offender. The distance difference obtained acts as diameter used to draw circle around the probable area before investigation starts. This makes it easy for investigation especially after modelling a geographical profile that governs investigators on the area of focus. It is thought that marauders resolve to operate within their specific areas due to the psychological and physical barriers. Commuters on the other hand display temporary geographical locations and commits crime in large areas. In addition, commuters do not perform crimes within their areas of stay and they have sophisticated attacking mechanisms. Deeper understanding of such behaviours exhibited criminals helps the geographical profilers to track the offenders with high level of strategies. In reference to Kocsis (2007, p 350), distance decay is another sub-technique of geographical profiling that assists in intensifying investigation. The principle of distance decay states that most offenders commit crimes in areas relatively near to their homes. This technique of geographical profiling adds substantial confidence to investigators especially when the area of the crime has been identified. The principle of distance decay shapes the suspect in the structure of the common people. The principle exemplifies that suspects as well as other casual people tend to minimize their operation costs with targets of higher profits. The economic perspective makes suspects vulnerable to commit crime within their close environment (Kocsis 2007, p 350). Distance decay provides a close link of a criminal offender to his/her environment. Kocsis (2007, p 352) reports that geographical profiling would also apply concept of operation range to determine the exact location of the criminal. In analyzing range of operation, it is common belief that the criminal is likely to commit the same kind of crime within the same locality and within a calculated period of time. Kocsis (2007, p354) speculates that travelling mode of various criminal varies with age and sex. Kocsis (2007, p354) further mentions that old robbers have a tendency to make an average journey of 4.98 miles while the young robbers travel makes a looping average of 2.02 miles. With this trend proved in most cases, geographic profilers are able to determine the appropriate perimeter to investigate and search for criminals of particular offences. With such considerations, investigators estimates the ranges of searching for young offenders, which according to the psychological understanding do not travel over long distances. Geographical profiling also possesses a wider perimeter for the search of an old robber whom psychological understanding pictures to get in occasional long journeys. It is also worth noting that technology has worked to improve the effectiveness of the geographical profiling of crime investigation. The most common technology in use is the use of Criminal geographic Targeting (CGT), which provides the most probable location of the offender. In the reports of (Abelius 2011, p. 28), CGT creates geographic profiles by marking the actual sites of the crime upon keying of at least four related cases. This system identifies the location of each serial crime and the combines the total data to produce a map showing the place of work or residence of the offender. In addition, CGT produces an explicit three dimension maps with jeopardy surface. Further need to integrate Criminal geographic Targeting (CGT) led to innovation of various computer software such as the crime stat, dragnet, predator and Rigel analyst. The new software made milestone improvement in the geographical profiling investigation (Shively & Rich 2004, p 11). Crime stat software refers to a spatial data box that estimates the journey made to the offender to the crime scene. Crime stat also monitors the travelling strategies of the offender. Crime stat software is powerful in that upon feed with data of serial crime, it examines the movement of the offender of a particular crime within a broad metropolitan city. According to Shively and Rich (2004, p 12), crime stat software discloses every locomotive steps made by the offender to and from every series of crime. It also unveils the possible routes used by the offender in before and after accomplishing every crime. Furthermore, crime stat software computes the distances covered by the offender to and fro the crime scene (Shively & Rich 2004, p 12). Shiverly and Rich (2004, p 13) describe dragnet as a software that is used in geographical profiling to model the distance covered by the offender on the way to crime scene. Dragnet also has the capability of identifying offender’s operational base and even provides a detailed map showing the offender’s residence. A map produced by dragnet exhibits much information since it appears in two dimensions. Rigel analyst is one of the most commercial and preferred software used in geographical profiling investigation. Rigel analyst is very unique due to its automatic potential in creating search area. Rigel also has high capability of identifying deep information about a geographical area under investigation. Rigel software has integrated program that provides security to the data gathered, and thereby keeping intruders at bay (Shively & Rich 2004, p 5). In conclusion, geographical profiling has displayed high levels of professionalism in the crime investigation department. Geographical profiling method offers detailed investigation procedures that ensure righteous convictions. The various theories and principle attached to geographical profiling have assisted in proving the credibility of the method in crime investigation. The circle theory of environmental range exhibits deep psychological clues in the field of crime investigation. The principle of distance decay exhibits the sense of reasoning equality between the robbers and the normal people. Distance decay mechanism of investigation also depicts the psychological hierarchy of the investigators. Precisely, geographical profiling has helped in reduction of time and resource wastage in the investigation procedures. It is worth acknowledging the technological advancement that has worked to improve the crime investigation in the line of geographical profiling. The use of integrated software like dragnet, crime stat and the riley analyst has largely reduced travelling of the geographic profilers to the crime scene. References Abelius, V., 2011. Mapping the criminal: to what extent can the use of geographical profiling, Norderstedt; GRIN Verlge Publisher. Kocsis, R., 2007, Criminal profiling: international theory, research and practice, Totowa, NJ; Humana Press Inc. Shively, M., & Rich, T., 2004. A methodology for evaluating geographical profiling software. Retrieved 2011-10-07 from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/208993.pdf Spencer, C., & Tompson, L., 2008, Crime mapping case studies: practice and research, Chichester; John Willy & sons Publishing. Thurler, K., 2010. Using math to solve serial murders Tufts Students win top honors in international contest, Retrieved 2011-10-07 fromhttp://news.tufts.edu/releases/release.php?id=175 Turvey, E., 2011, Criminal profiling: an introduction to behavioural evidence analysis, San Diego, CA; Academic Press. Wang, F., 2005, Geographic information systems and crime analysis, London; Idea Group Publishing. Youngs, D., & Canter, D., 2008, Applications of geographical offender profiling, Burlington; Ashgate Publishing. Read More