NCJ Number
196181
Journal
Crime Mapping News Volume: 4 Issue: 3 Dated: Summer 2002 Pages: 5-8
Date Published
2002
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes a program that has been developed to introduce geographic profiling techniques to crime analysts in local law enforcement agencies.
Abstract
Geographic profiling is a crime analysis technique that uses the locations of a connected series of crime sites to determine the most probable area of offender residence. A geographic profiling system produces a probability map of the likely location of the offender's home base, which would usually be his/her residence or work place. This probability map can then be used to prioritize suspects by address, search records databases, define intensive patrol areas, etc. The overall effectiveness of geographic profiling is measured in terms of the "hit score," which is the percentage of the total area covered by the crime sites in which the offender's home base is located by the profile. Chance would produce a "hit score" of 50 percent; the average "hit score" of geographic profiling over all the cases completed to date is under 5 percent. Thus, geographic profiling can sharpen the geographic focus of an investigation by a factor of 10, potentially resolving the case faster and resulting in a significant saving of resources. The National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC-SE) in Charleston, S.C., a program of the Office of Science and Technology of the National Institute of Justice, has been operating a demonstration program in geographic profiling for crime analysts from local police agencies. This program is intended to assist local agencies in adopting and using this new technology through a 2-week classroom training session, followed by a 6-month field evaluation period. This article outlines the lessons learned from this program to date. Police departments that embrace the new technique and have a program of supportive policies, techniques, and tools have benefited the most from geographic profiling for crime analysis. 2 figures and 2 references