Criminal Profiling August 13, 2012 CJ230 Police operations and Administration Criminal Profiling Criminal profiling defines as the investigation of a crime with the hope of identifying the responsible party, based on crime scene analysis, investigative psychology and behavioral evidence analysis. Many claim that criminal profiling is a science or an art. Criminal profiling’s use helps law enforcement make positive evaluations. Behavioral scientists and criminologists use the criminal profiling technique to examine criminal behavior. In the future criminal profiling will go further to help investigations and help in the predictions for future actions of criminals.
The concept of criminal investigation can be traced back thousands of years, to early times in china and other part of Asia, as well as the Middle East, where agents of government used a great many legal, as well as illegal approaches (most notably torture) as a means of identifying transgressor of public order. In England, the so-called “thief catchers” were frequently drawn from elements of the underworld. The rank and file of the recruits constituted a distinct breed, but two clear-cut differences in motivation set some apart from others. Hireling, with mercenary motives, would play both sides of the street; social climbers would in criminate their confederates in order to move into respectable society. Identify and explain the two major branches of forensic science.
In the U.S., crime laboratories are operated both at public and private levels. Generally, crime labs have two types of people working under it: a. Field analysts - Investigators who go to crime scenes to collect evidence, and process the scene. Most crime labs in the U.S. are under the police or prosecution control which opens the door for a number of problems with corruption as the headliner. Crime labs are subject to being victims of incentives.
The British Crime Survey also includes crimes which are not reported to the police, therefore is an important alternative to police records and provides criminologists, the police, the courts, the media and anyone else who has an interest with the statistics, two different types of data: Firstly trends on crime over time chartered, Details are compiled from offenders who are eventually found guilty or cautioned; details gathered include sex and the age of the offender. Information is gathered on the “Known offender”, in this case the “Typical offender”, (Maguire 1997). Official crime
These individuals are given the task of how to move the trial along and what types of sentences should be asked to the judge after the trial has taken place. There are several methods that prosecutors should employ to deal with crimes. One of these methods could be implementing diversion programs for criminals. Again, by placing such a program on the books this would put society more in charge of what is happening to criminals in their communities. Misconduct of Court Room Players In the courtroom, just as outside of the courtroom, there are always times in which misconduct of a courtroom player takes place.
The role of a prosecuting attorney is to review all evidence against a person or party and build a case against the person(s). A prosecutor is typically in charge of bringing criminal charges against a person(s) and presenting their evidence to a court to assure a conviction. They work directly for the district attorneys office of a jurisdiction and are responsible for presenting the state’s case against the defendant. The prosecuting attorney is the primary representative of the people by virtue of the belief that violations of the criminal law are an affront to the public. The prosecutor pairs up with the law enforcement officers that are gathering the evidence and then they see if they have enough evidence to continue with the case.
Indictable offences are the more serious crimes such as murder, armed robbery, sexual assault, drug trafficking and arson. These offences are tried by a judge and jury in District or Supreme Courts. A preliminary (committal) hearing is held in Local Court before a magistrate to determine whether there is sufficient evidence for a ‘prima facie’ case. The prosecution is required to produce evidence and witnesses. The process of criminal prosecution begins when a person (usually a police officer) lays information before a court or a justice of the peace.
And how do they manage to convince a jury of their innocence or a parole board of their rehabilitation? I spent my career studying the criminal mind—especially the minds of psychopaths, people who lack a conscience. People—especially psychopaths—get away with their crimes for the following reasons: 1. They know how to blend in. They look normal and appear normal.
Official statistics is the name given to the numbers of crimes reported to or unveiled by the police themselves, which lead to a conviction, caution or are dealt with in some formal way by the law. Only offences which are dealt with by one of the above are actually recorded in official statistics. These offences can vary from minor incidents such as a window being broken to, an offence of a more serious nature such as rape or murder. These are social problems that are constructed by society, something that goes against the 'normal' runnings of society. The statistics can give us an understanding as to the levels of these crimes and as to why or where they are most likely to occur.
A civil case is when the plaintiff decides to sue another person, organization, or a business, the individual being sued is also called the defendant. In a criminal case, the crime is based on offenses against the state, with the prosecutor charging the suspect for the crime and not the actual victim charging the suspect. (The Differences between a Criminal Case and a Civil Case, n.d) Many fundamental distinctions between a civil and criminal case separate them from one another in our court system, which include but are not limited to; the standard of proof required in a criminal case compared to that of a civil case, the terms and forms of punishment, and also whether or not you are entitled to an attorney. “In general, because criminal cases have greater consequences - the possibility of jail and even death - criminal cases have many more protections in place and are harder to prove.” (The Differences between a Criminal Case and a Civil Case, n.d) A duty placed upon a civil or criminal defendant to prove or disprove a disputed fact is known as standard of proof. (Standard of proof.