NCJ Number
232259
Journal
Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice Volume: 26 Issue: 4 Dated: November 2010 Pages: 393-409
Date Published
November 2010
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This article argues that profiling, as it has been practiced, particularly in the American tradition, has never been an overtly scientific process.
Abstract
A review of the development of criminal profiling demonstrates that profiling has never been a scientific process. It is essentially based on a compendium of common sense intuitions and faulty theoretical assumptions, and in practice appears to consist of little more than educated guesses and wishful thinking. While it is very difficult to find cases where profiling made a critical contribution to an investigation, there exist a number of cases where a profile, combined with investigative and prosecutorial enthusiasm, derailed the investigation and even contributed to serious miscarriages of justice. As a result, police agencies should carefully consider whether the development of in-house profiling capability, or use of external consultants to provide such services, is justified. Note and references (Published Abstract)