Criminal Patterns Chapter 5. Copyright ©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 2...

Criminal Patterns

Chapter 5

Copyright ©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

2

Crime Patterns & Human Behavior

• Human beings are largely creatures of habit and comfort and are, to some extent, predictable in their behavior.

• Most criminal behavior is not the result of random acts, and certain types of criminals engage in certain kinds of criminal behavior for similar reasons, or motives.– Motive - A wrongdoer’s

reason(s) for committing a crime.


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Modus Operandi• Modus operandi (M.O.) – The method of operation that a criminal uses to

commit a crime.– Latin term for “mode of operation.”– It was once believed that every criminal followed a

particular M.O. and would rarely, if ever, change the type of crime committed or the method of committing it.

– Inferences drawn from the M.O. are not certainties, but they can greatly assist investigators in their pursuit of criminals.


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Deductions from Modus Operandi Data

• The M.O. file is an orderly method of recording and coding information designed to reveal habits, traits, or practices of criminal suspects.

• Leads regarding M.O. should be weighed according to the degree of probability they will lead to a suspect.


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Deductions that may result from a review of M.O. data

• A theft by stealth rather than by violence or fraud may indicate either that:– the criminal is physically non-aggressive and lacks

confidence in his or her powers of persuasion– or that the theft was more easily accomplished by stealth

• A theft by stealth may mean:– the thief is known to the victim– or intends to remain in the community and might be

recognized later should contact be made with the victim during the crime

• Well-planned crimes generally eliminate the emotionally unstable as suspects.


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• A certain type of premises might be selected:– not only because of the type of business conducted– but also because the criminal is familiar with the victim’s habits and

manner of conducting business• A burglary of a residence may suggest:

– a criminal with knowledge of the activities of persons who frequent that area at a certain time (the victim, neighbors, police, and so on)

– and with knowledge of the probable whereabouts of the people living in the residence

• The occupation or previous experience of the criminal may be indicated by the tools selected for the crime as well as by the skill with which they are employed.


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• Burglaries where more vandalism than theft occurs usually indicate amateur juvenile burglars rather than adult professionals.

• Crimes committed in areas frequented only by people working or living in that vicinity usually indicate a local criminal.

• The point of entry (window, rear door, skylight, and so on) may have been chosen because of observation of a burglar alarm system outside the premises.


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• Prior “casing” of the victimized target may have been needed because of conditions at the location or precautionary measures taken by the owner or manager.

• A suspect with physical disabilities may be eliminated if the type of crime calls for an agile person, unless evidence of a more physically fit accomplice is developed.


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Uses of Modus Operandi Data

• Identification – A process in which physical characteristics and

qualities are used to definitely know or recognize a person.

• Apprehension – The act of seizing or arresting a criminal offender.


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Uses of Modus Operandi Data• Modus operandi data can indicate a likely time

and location for future criminal activity.• Repression

• The act of suppressing or preventing an action from taking place.


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The Modus Operandi Parts of a Report

1. Time of Attack, or Date and Time Committed2. Person Attacked (Type of Victim)3. Property Attacked, or Type of Premises Entered4. How Attacked (Point of Entry)5. Means of Attack (Tool or Equipment Used in

Committing the Crime)6. Objective of Attack (Why the Crime Was Committed

or Attempted)7. Trademark or Peculiarity


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The Modus Operandi Parts of a Report

8. What Suspect Said9. Written Words or Symbols10. Transportation Used or Observed


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How to Report Modus Operandi Data

• Details of the offense• Modus operandi factors would include such acts

as:– lying in wait– luring the victim– drugging the victim– detouring a vehicle– casing a target– establishing the confidence of victims– purchasing or acquiring equipment


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• Modus operandi files are typically organized into two major categories of information: Information pertaining to crimes committed by

unidentified offenders Information concerning crimes committed by

identified and apprehended offenders• In many police agencies, data that pertain to the modus

operandi of a reported crime are entered into the department’s computer information management system.


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• Legally, the modus operandi can be used only as an investigative lead.

• It can be introduced in court only as evidence to show the common purpose and design of the criminal when a series of crimes have been committed and linked to the defendant.


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Common Occult and

Satanic Symbols


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Modus Operandi Parts of a Report


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Psychological Profiling• One of the main objectives in any criminal

investigation is to identify a suspect in the crime.• Comparing the manner in which a crime was

committed with available modus operandi files is one way of identifying a possible suspect.

• Psychological profiling – A method of suspect identification that seeks to identify an

individual’s mental, emotional, and personality characteristics as manifested in things done or left behind at the crime scene.


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Psychological Profiling

• Profiling is a method of suspect identification that seeks to identify an individual’s mental, emotional, and personality characteristics as manifested in things done or artifacts left behind at the crime scene.

• It is typically used in crimes of violence, such as homicides, sex crimes, ritualistic crimes, and arsons in which there are no apparent motives or there are a series of crimes.


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Psychological Profiling

• Profiles provide investigators with corroborative evidence in cases with unknown suspects or with clues about likely suspects.

• Profiles do not immediately lead investigators to a specific offender.

• They do point to the type of person most likely to commit the crime under investigation and, thereby, may narrow the field of potential suspects.


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Psychological Profiling• The seven basic steps to profiling

1. Evaluate the criminal act itself.2. Analyze evidence from, and conditions at, the crime

scene.3. Consider characteristics and, when available, statements

of the victim.4. Analyze all information from the preliminary reports.5. Evaluate the medical examiner’s autopsy protocol or the

physician’s physical examination report.6. Develop a profile of the offender’s psychological and

personality characteristics.7. Make investigative suggestions to investigators based on

the profile.


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Geographic Profiling• Geographic profiling – A computer-assisted investigative method that uses

locations of a series of crimes to determine the most likely area where an offender may be found.

– Geographic profiling has been applied in a variety of types of cases including serial murder, rape, arson, robbery, and even bombings.

– Geographic profiling uses a mathematical algorithm based on a psychological theory known as the least-effort principle.


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Geographic Profiling

• This principle suggests that an individual will try to adapt to the environment or will try to change the environment to suit his or her needs, whichever is easier.

• Criminals tend to commit crimes within a certain comfort zone, an area located near— but not too close—to their own residence.


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National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System

• (NLETS) is a computer-controlled message switching network linking local, state, and federal agencies together to exchange information.

• The law enforcement agencies are linked together by means of:– Computers– Terminals– Communication lines


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National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System

• Officers can access the network through mobile data terminals linked to a departmental central computer, which is part of a state network tied into NLETS.

• The system is operational 24 hours per day, 7 days a week.

Criminal Patterns Chapter 5. Copyright ©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 2...

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