A03

• strength- scientific methods

  • reliance on scientific methods of enquiry and use of statistical analysis.
  • allows for standardised procedures to be applied throughout the police force to increase reliability of convictions
  • therefore more based on psychological theory compared to top down which is over simplified. This can lead to more successful convictions and safer policing leads to the protection of individuals
• limitation

  • does not always lead to the correct identification of the offender
  • Copson found that information from an offender profile only led to the successful identification of the offender in 3% of cases but was useful 83% of the time.
  • This suggests that offender profiling is best reserved for simply narrowing the field of enquiry, as opposed to being relied upon as a the main means of offender identification. 
• LIMITATION FOR BOTH

  • Offender profiling overall may be considered unreliable
  • Rachel nickel murder case highlighted how a profile can fit more than one person and be misused.
  • Collin Stagg was charged with murder because he matched the profile despite no forensic evidence and was later found to be innocent- highlighting how it may be unreliable.
  • However, the offender profile used to intensify and arrest john Duffy was highly successful, made Duffy seem like a much more likely suspect than previously thought.