Investigating spatial behaviour: an applicationof space analysis to criminal investigations

摘要

Geographical profiling (GP) is an information managementsystem and investigative methodology that evaluates thelocations of connected serial crimes to determine the mostprobable area of offender residence. It can be applied incases of serial murder, rape, arson, robbery and bombings.Specifically, this investigative methodology uses the crime-related scenes of a criminal series to determine the area inwhich the offender might live or conducts relevant activi-ties (e.g. work and exercise). The idea underlying GP isthat the offender tends to use familiar places and his ownspatial representations to carry out his criminal activities.This methodology is often applied on serial crimes such asrapes, homicides and fire setters, but also on single crimesinvolving more than a place and it is based on the con-nection between the geographic information, the knowl-edge of the victim and the crime frame. The analyst usestools and digital representations visualised as maps inwhich it is attempt to indicate where it is more probablethat the offender lives and can be used by investigators toreduce the searching areas, select investigative strategiessuch as assign priority on a list of suspects, implement asearch based on addresses, patrolling, etc. The general aimis to reconstruct the offender's use of his environment tostudy the distance variable in its explorative strategies andmobility.