Top Down (forensics)

Question 1

How did they come up with the classification system?

Answer 1

Interviewing 36 serial killers + thorough analysis of crime details

Question 2

What does the classification consist of?

Answer 2

Organised
Disorganised

Question 3

What is the process of top down profiling?

Answer 3

Data assimilation
Crime scene classification
Crime reconstruction
Profile generation

Question 4

What is data assimilation?

Answer 4

• Collect all available information
• E.g. photographs/details of the scene, post-mortem of victims, victim backgrounds)

Question 5

What is crime scene classification?

Answer 5

• Put the crime into a particular category based on the data collected (either organised or disorganised)

Question 6

What is crime reconstruction?

Answer 6

• Develop hypothesis about the behaviour of the victim
• Develop hypothesis about the sequences of the events
• Develop the MO (modus operandi) about the offender (signature way of working correlate with social and psychological characteristics.)

Question 7

What is profile generation?

Answer 7

• Suggest offenders physical appearance
• Suggest demographic information (age, race, job) etc.
• Suggest habits and personality

Question 8

What are the behaviours towards the victim when the crime is organised?

Answer 8

• Victim is targeted
• In control and detached
• Controls conversation

Question 9

What is the crime scene detail when the crime is organised?

Answer 9

• Body hidden/moved
• Weapons absent
• Attempts to clean up

Question 10

What is the characteristics of criminals when the crime is organised?

Answer 10

• Socially/sexually competent
• Skilled/professional occupation
• High intelligence
• Married with children

Question 11

What is the behaviour towards the victim when the crime is disorganised?

Answer 11

• Victim random
• Crime unplanned
• Avoids conversation

Question 12

What is the crime scene detail when the crime is disorganised?

Answer 12

• Body in view
• Weapon/evidence left
• Sexual activity after death

Question 13

What is the characteristics of criminals when the crime is disorganised?

Answer 13

• Unskilled/unemployed
• Socially/sexually incompetent
• Low IQ
• Failed relationships
• Live alone
• Lives close to crime scene

Question 14

What is offender profiling in general?

Answer 14

• Crime scene characteristics being used to establish a description of an offender

Question 15

What is the aim of offender profiling?

Answer 15

• To narrow down the field of suspects.
• To create a hypothesis of probable characteristics of an offender.

Question 16

Strengths of top down approach

Answer 16

+ Canter used smallest space analysis to examine 100 murders –> found distinct typology for organised offenders.

+ Used in 3 US states for burglaries –> 85% rise in solving of crimes. Also, created new categories such as opportunistic and interpersonal.

Question 17

Weaknesses of the top down approach

Answer 17

• Lack of use for other crimes –> based on crimes that reveal details of the offender, doesn’t work for more common offences.
• Not mutually exclusive to the categories. Application to both organised and disorganised crimes.