Geographic Profiling Analysis: Crime and Security

In week 1 you'll have classroom-based lectures and exercises, and you'll do a fieldwork search exercise.

In week 2 you'll be based in a computer-lab and will undertake case work and investigative scenarios.

For the majority of the software-based exercises you'll use CrimeStat and Rigel Analyst, but you'll also explore the utility of Dragnet and centrographic spatial statistics.

Geographic profiling is an investigative technique that uses the locations of a connected series of crime to work out where an offender most likely lives, or bases their activities from.

The application of geographic profiling has been significant in a number of major serial crime investigations and is increasingly being used for volume crime. The principles of geographic profiling have also been applied to non-serial crime investigations.

Since this course first ran in 2010, police forces have used their certified analysts to apply geographic profiling to the following types of investigation:

• Residential burglary
• Robbery against the person
• Theft from the person
• Residential burglary where vehicle keys have been targeted and a vehicle stolen
• Metal theft on railway lines
• Catalytic converter theft
• Arson (wheelie-bin fires)
• Arson to commercial buildings
• Distraction burglary
• Criminal damage to dwellings
• Theft of fuel from heating tanks and vehicles
• Robbery of commercial premises