What is Criminal Profiling Anno 2020: A Short Communication
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17140/SBRPOJ-5-123Keywords:
Trinity-approach, Criminal profiling, Database profiling, Profiling, Geographical profiling, Offender profiling, VictimologyAbstract
Criminal profiling has been through many different periods during the time the field has existed, but none of which has resulted in a scientific validation of the field and thereby shown how it could be effectively used in the capable hands of law enforcement. Part of the problem is that there is no proper collaboration between law enforcement and the academic world from which the scientific validation could arise. This brief communication will give an overview of the main approaches used today, as well as explain the overall building blocks of a proposed Trinity-approach. The Trinity-approach consists of a geographical profile, which should lay the foundation of any profile. The reason for the geographical profile to be the foundation is that this type of profiling has shown reliable results compared to other types of profiling. The next step should be a profile of the victim and finally followed by the profile of the offender. The profile of the victim, as well as that of offender should come from a database containing extensive scientific studies within the field of criminal profiling. The strength of the Trinity-approach is a build-in scientific foundation, based on scientific studies that have undergone proper scientific review. The hope is to generate interest and debate, and call upon collaboration between law enforcement and academics to develop a scientific basis for the effectiveness of profiling as well as evaluate the reliability and validity of the Trinity-approach.
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