The focus of this blog is on criminal profiling. Profiling deals with behavioral sciences, combining mainly the two disciplines of psychology and criminology. The goal is to unmask the predators who glean pleasure from the fear and torture of their fellow man. It is through profiling that the criminal analyst enlists his instinct, intellect, and experience with the human race and criminal element to gain access to the perpetrator’s subconscious and eventually to his identity.
Investigators trained in profiling analyze a crime scene attempting to extrapolate hidden clues from the latent evidence. Examples include the offender’s personality, age, sex, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and mental state. In developing this picture of the unsub (unknown subject), one must consider weapons used, details of the victim (victimology), where and at what time the crime occurred, organized vs. disorganized crime scene, brutality of the crime, etc. Former F.B.I. profiler, John Douglas, uses the formula: “How plus Why equals Who,” stating that if you answer the hows and the whys, you can typically determine the “Who.”
http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/profiling/history_method/6.html
Those who feel strongly about the effectiveness of criminal profiling have not had an easy time introducing the technique into the world of law enforcement, or even into the field of psychology. While it is still a young invention, criminal profiling can be traced back to England and the brutal slayings of Jack the Ripper in the late 1800s.
http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/profiling/history_method/6.html
Those who feel strongly about the effectiveness of criminal profiling have not had an easy time introducing the technique into the world of law enforcement, or even into the field of psychology. While it is still a young invention, criminal profiling can be traced back to England and the brutal slayings of Jack the Ripper in the late 1800s.
http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/profiling/history_method/index.html
After the The Ripper’s fifth victim fell prey to his blackened heart and lethal hands, a frustrated police force turned to the services of Dr. Thomas Bond, requesting a detailed analysis of the wounds inflicted on each victim. Bond, provided much more than a routine report, however, when he speculated as to the qualities of the man responsible for these slayings based on the physical elements of the crimes. Such qualities included that this man operated alone; was physically very strong and daring; but, was quiet and inoffensive in appearance; middle-aged, a loner without a real occupation, eccentric, and mentally unstable.
http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/profiling/history_method/index.html
Although we have never determined the identity of Jack the Ripper, the portrait of a man devised from crime scene patterns marked the entry of criminal profiling into the world, and opened a portal to the elusive and enigmatic workings of the human mind.
“There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root.”
~ Henry David Thoreau
After the The Ripper’s fifth victim fell prey to his blackened heart and lethal hands, a frustrated police force turned to the services of Dr. Thomas Bond, requesting a detailed analysis of the wounds inflicted on each victim. Bond, provided much more than a routine report, however, when he speculated as to the qualities of the man responsible for these slayings based on the physical elements of the crimes. Such qualities included that this man operated alone; was physically very strong and daring; but, was quiet and inoffensive in appearance; middle-aged, a loner without a real occupation, eccentric, and mentally unstable.
http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/profiling/history_method/index.html
Although we have never determined the identity of Jack the Ripper, the portrait of a man devised from crime scene patterns marked the entry of criminal profiling into the world, and opened a portal to the elusive and enigmatic workings of the human mind.
“There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root.”
~ Henry David Thoreau
I agree with you 100% on profiling. I believe as a police officer we have to use certain techniques in order to prevent crime as well as solve crime. Many people would consider this as wrong doing, but as officers its about getting the job done in order to protect people. Some will say its wrong, but when a robber comes knocking you want the police to use every technique possible from this happening.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Aaron for your insight. I agree with you, part of our responsibility in law enforcement is not only to respond when our services are called upon, but also to take preventive measures in order to ensure the safety of as many people as possible.
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