Top down approach

• Top down offender profiling - a general classification of the crime scene to make judgments about the potential offender
• Top down offender profiling is used in the USA
• Four stages of in the construction of a profile - top down approach:

  Data Assimilation

  Crime scene reclassification

  Crime reconstruction

  Profile generations
• TD approach Data Assimilation - review evidence like photos and reports
• TD approach Crime scene reclassification- classify criminal in one of two categories: organised or disorganised
• Organised criminal - plans their crimes, less likely to leave evidence
• Disorganised criminal - more evidence, spontaneous crime
• TD approach Crime Reconstruction- hypothesise the sequence of events, behaviour of criminal and victim
• TD approach Profile Generation - hypothesise offender characteristics- demographics, physical characteristics, behaviour etc
• Characteristics of murder organised killer:

  Crime is planned

  Shows self control at the crime scene

  Less clues

  Victim is a targeted stranger

  Attempts to control the victim
• Characteristics of murder disorganised killer:

  Little planning and preparation

  Little attempt to hide the evidence

  Minimum use of constraint

  Random, disorganised behaviour
• Likely characteristics of organised offender:

  Above average IQ

  Socially and sexually competent

  Married or living with someone

  Anger or depression at the time of offence

  Follows media coverage of crime

  Skilled occupation
• Likely characteristics of disorganised offender:

  Lives alone, near crime scene

  Sexually and socially inadequate

  Unskilled occupation or unemployed

  Physically or sexually abused in childhood

  Frightened and confused at the time of the attack
• TDA AO3. Top down offender profiling is useful. Copson ( 1995 ) questioned 184 US police officers and 82 % said the technique was operationally useful and over 90 % said they would use it again. The technique may not identify the actual person but it opens up new avenues and gives investigators a different perspective, preventing wrongful conviction. This shows real life benefit as the correct criminals can be identified.
• TDA AO3. The basis of the method is flawed. The original data on which classification of organised and disorganised killers came from is based on interviews with 36 of the most dangerous and sexually motivated murderers, including Ted Bundy. The data was used to identify key characteristics, however these individuals who are highly manipulative are not the best source of reliable information.
• TDA AO3. There is potential harm caused by using the Top down approach. Snook et al (2008) claim that top down profilers do little more than psychics, and the process isn’t based on any science of theory. Courts have regarded it as “junk science”. This means that the approach can mislead investigators if the results are incorrect.
• TDA AO3. It is hard to distinguish between organised and disorganised types of criminals. Turvey ( 1999 ) says that it is likely to be a continuous scale rather than two groups. This is supported by the fact the descriptions tend to be a bit vague. There is a suggested third category - mixed.