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Psychology & Crime. Offender Profiling . Recap: HISTORY OF PROFILING. Extract from letter written by Dr Thomas Bond (1880s). Definition of OFFENDER PROFILING ?.
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Psychology & Crime Offender Profiling
Definition of OFFENDER PROFILING? Offender Profiling refers to the process of using all the available information about a crime, a crime scene and a victim in order to compose a profile of the (as yet) unknown perpetrator (Ainsworth, 2001) Write down as many of the aims of profiling as you can think of
Holmes (1989) suggests that the aims of profiling are: • To reduce the scope of an investigation by providing basic information in relation to the social and psychological variables of the offender’s personality • To allow some prediction of future offences and their location • To provide a psychological evaluation of belongings found in the offenders possession • To provide strategies for interviewing offenders which take account of individual differences.
Offender Profiling Watch this clip what criticism of profiling is the lawyer making? How is profiling being represented? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WToUQ5aT1uA&feature=related
Some profiles have been successful and others not Real Profiling Fictional Profiling Duffy; 1988 Hardman; 2002 Wright; 2008 Colin Stagg; 1992
Geographical profiling • A field of investigative psychology used in the UK. • Involves generalising from the locations of linked crime scenes to the likely home /work/social base of the offender. • The assumption is that most offenders like to operate in areas they know well - many offenders have a crime range of as little as 2 miles (Canter & Gregory, 1994). • A distinction has been drawn between marauders who like to commit crimes in their own neighbourhoods, and commuterswho travel to commit their crimes.
According to Canter, the following three characteristics are important in creating a profile • Interpersonal Coherence • Time and Place – spatial factors • Forensic Information
“What does a criminal reveal about himself by the way he commits a crime?...as well as material traces, he also leaves psychological traces, tell-tale patterns of behaviour that indicate the sort of person he is” Canter, (1994) David Canter – leading UK profiler
Mental maps People store information about their lives in schemas/mental maps - organised knowledge of our experiences. Each person’s mental map is highly individual and the location of crime scenes can be used to infer where the offender is based and also other information about the offender’s likely interests, employment and relationships. A surveillance area for the next crime can then be set-up.
Geographical profiling • uses a computer system called Criminal Geographic Targeting. • Spatial data is analysed to produce a three-dimensional model known as a jeopardy surface. • The codes produced are then superimposed onto a map where the crimes have taken place.
Remember there are different types of profiling . • The American system looks at the way the crime is committed and links this to existing typologies based on interviews with serial killers. • British systems are more data driven. • It relies more on statistics • It looks at probabilities • It focuses on behaviour consistencies
7 days after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, letters laced with anthrax began appearing in the U.S. mail. 5 Americans were killed and 17 were sickened in what became the worst biological attack ever waged. The ensuing investigation by the FBI was one of the largest and most complex in history.
On 18thof September 2001 - 7 days after the twin towers were hit, a hand printed letter was sent to “NBC TV –Tom Brokaw”. It was postmarked Trenton, NJ (New Jersey). On the same day a similar letter was sent to “NY Post” (New York) and was also postmarked Trenton, NJ. Inside the letters was a “coarse brown granular material looking like Purina dog food”
Robert Stevens, a journalist was the first person to contract and die from inhalation of anthrax spores. In total at 22 people developed the infection. 5 died of the infection, including the aide of Senator Daschle and two postal workers who handled the letters. The FBI were called in to investigate to case and create a profile of the possible offender/s. Time to look at the evidence –open your packs
Your job is to try and come up with More information will be made available shortly……………
After the letters were sent the following information became available: The Anthrax in the second set of letters was more sophisticated and refined than that first used. Although of different grades, the Anthrax was derived from the same bacterial strain. This strain had been originally researched at Fort Derrick, U.S.A. and distributed to fifteen bio-research labs within the U.S. and six overseas labs. The strain had been cultured no more than two years previously. On the 9th May 2002 the New Scientist reported that “The DNA sequence of the anthrax sent through the mail in 2001 has been revealed and confirms that the bacteria originally came from a US military Laboratory” In August 2002 investigators found Anthrax spores in a mailbox in Nassau Street near Princeton University, New Jersey.
Steven Hatfill: A virologist and ex-green beret Dr Philip Zack: A microbiologist working at Fort Derrick, accused of leading a hate campaign against Muslimco-workers
Dr Bruce Ivins: • Worked in the bio-defense labs at Fort Derrick for 18 years. Committed suicide on 1st August, 2008.
. Another case????
Further letters / threats received (July – Nov) Police receive kidnapper’s letter (July 12th, 1992) Michael Sams convicted and sentenced to life (July, 1993) Abduction of Stephanie Slater from Birmingham (Jan 22nd, 1993) THE MICHAEL SAMS CASE Police receive kidnapper’s letter (Jan 25th, 1993) Kidnapper identified by ex-wife following ‘Crimewatch’ appeal Julie Dart kidnapped in Leeds (July 9th, 1992) Paul Britton (profiler) begins involvement with case Julie’s body found (July 19th, 1992) Ransom delivered and victim released (Jan 29th, 1993)
