Evaluation

• 2 strengths

  Evidence for investigative psychology

  Evidence for geographical profiling
• Limitation

  Geographical profiling may not be sufficient on its own
• Evidence for investigative psychology

  Canter and Heritage - analysis of 66 sexual assault cases using smallest space analysis

  Several behaviors were identified as common in different samples of behavior, such as the use of impersonal language an lack of reaction to the victim - each individual displayed a characteristic pattern of behaviors which can help establish whether two or more offenses were committed by the same person - case linkage

  Supports the basic principles of investigative psychology that people are consistent in behavior
• Evidence for geographical profiling

  Smallest space analysis of 120 murder cases involving US serial killers revealed spatial consistency in the behavior of killers

  The location of each body disposal site created a centre of gravity presumably because when offenders start from their home base, they may go in a different direction each time they dispose of a body, but all these different sites create a circular effect around the home base

  The effect was more noticeable for marauders (short differences)
• Geographical information insufficient

  The success of geographical profiling may be reliant on the quality of data that police can provide

  Recording of crime isn't always accurate and can vary between police forces - an estimated 75% of crimes aren't even reported to police

  Calls into question the utility of an approach that relies on the accuracy of geographical data - other factors are just as important in creating a profile, such as timing, age, and experience

  Suggests geographical information alone may not always lead to successful capture