NCJ Number
181551
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 66 Issue: 12 Dated: December 1999 Pages: 51-59
Date Published
December 1999
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Geographic profiling is a powerful investigative tool and was instrumental in identifying the suspect in the case of the Southside Rapist in St. Louis in 1998; the typical geographic profile will focus the investigation on 5 percent or less of the area originally under consideration.
Abstract
The originator of geographic profiling came to St. Louis to work with the case detective and the FBI agent to examine the 20 crime sites attributed to the Southside Rapist to develop a computer-generated, three-dimensional jeopardy surface that showed the area where the offender probably lived. This technique recognized that criminals are similar to other people in their tendency to follow patterns of movement around and through geographic areas. The geographic profiling process relies on the computer for speed, accuracy, and color. However, profilers still must use human understanding and deductive reasoning to profile the criminal methods involved in crimes of all types. Geographic profiling has proven highly accurate in cases solved by Scotland Yard, the FBI, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Virginia State Police, and other police agencies. An accurate geographic profile can help investigators set priorities among suspect lists, direct patrol saturation and static stakeouts, conduct neighborhood canvasses, make better use of police information systems and other systems, take advantage of other agencies' information systems, limit the sample size for forensic testing, and access sex offender registries. Geographic profiling requires a preliminary assessment to determine the suitability for this technique, followed by the preparation of a case information package. This technique can accompany psychological profiling and other techniques to help police solve serial crimes more effectively and efficiently. Case examples from Canada and Louisiana and figures