Perspectives on geographical profiling in the United Kingdom

ABSTRACT

Geographical profiling is a form of crime analysis that can be used to help predict the area within which the home or base of a serial offender resides. Police services globally have incorporated it into their crime analysis capabilities but there remains limited research on how this has been achieved. In this article, we interview 10 geographical profilers working in the field to gather their experiences of the operational use of geographical profiling. Implementation theory is used as the theoretical framework to analyze the interviews. As a result, we identify a field with the potential to add value to criminal investigations, but a lack of knowledge and awareness of frontline officers and staff about the novel capability is affecting its use. In addition, issues relating to technology, tasking acceptance criteria, and methods of data collection create compounding factors serving to potentially reduce its contribution. We provide recommendations to address them including greater levels of training, a loosening of theoretical constraints, academic collaboration, and embracing free-to-access technology and heuristic methods as potential ways to improve the application.

KEYWORDS:

• Crime reduction
• crime prevention
• Geographical profiling
• predictive policing
• crime control

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Eric Halford

Dr Eric Halford is a former detective chief inspector from the United Kingdom where he held the role of head of criminal investigation. His areas of research include police evaluations and crime prevention and reduction methods.