The Fundaments of Geographical Profiling

• An investigative methodology that uses the locations of a connected series of crimes to determine the most probable area of offender residence" (Rossmo, 2000).
• Aims to define a search area of possible offender location NOT THE EXACT LOCATION for investigators faced with a series of crimes

• The process is probabilistic, finding the area most likely to contain the offender 
• This is not an exact location (Harries & LeBeau, 2007)

• Investigative strategies:
• –  Direct patrols and surveillance
• –  Neighborhood canvassing
• –  Sign posting
• –  Leaflet distribution
• –  Missing bodies
• –  DNA screening

• Case Management 
• –  Prioritize suspects for interrogation
• –  Search databases and records

• Clarke (1997)
• Crime is purposive behavior designed to meet the offender’s commonplace needs for such things as money, status, sex and excitement
• The balance between effort and reward depends on the type of crime
• There are individual differences in the way costs and rewards are perceived depending on things such as IQ and socioeconomic status
• Based on the nearness principle

The principle that connections between places should be made at minimal cost (you should do as little travelling as possible)

• As people commit crime they make decisions, when these are committed regularly the decision process becomes regularised and this creates an abstract guiding template 
• People rarely function as individuals but are part of a network of family that influence decisions 
• The patterns of individuals can be collated to form averages
• Crime involves a triggering event and a method of locating a victim 
• The more crime that is committed, the more the criminal's bank of knowledge increases and the MO changes 
• People have a routine of daily actions 
• Criminals move around like everyone else
• Criminals and victims intersecting activity spaces, these are used to select victims

• Time, effort and cost 
• Individual perception of distance influenced by several factors:relative attractiveness, types of barriers, familiarity, actual distance, attractiveness of routes
• Animal foraging techniques are echoed

Isotropic surfaces (same properties in every direction) are rarely found in human physical environment

• All the locations about which a person has knowledge above a minimum level even without visiting some of them
• Awareness space includes activity space and its area enlarges as new locations are discovered and/or new information is gathered" (Clark, 1990:24-25)

• The most important places in a criminal's spatial life 
• There are preferred routes between anchor points such as a good road 
• Main anchor points are often residences but can also be work or family

• Must fall within the awareness space 
• A decision must be made on their viability by weighing up costs and benefits 
• Usually not people close to home