NCJ Number
201478
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 30 Issue: 7 Dated: July 2003 Pages: 124,126,129
Date Published
July 2003
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article offers an overview of geographic profiling and a biography of geographic profiler Cpl. Carl Sesely.
Abstract
Cpl. Carl Sesely first heard about geographic profiling when he was investigating a series of arsons in a suburb of Vancouver. Advised to seek the help of a geographic profiler, Sesely contacted the founder of geographic profiling, then-Constable Kim Rossmo of the Vancouver Police Department, and based on the facts of the arson case, received a profile of where the suspect likely lived. The author explains how geographic profiling works and how it can help crime investigations. Geographic profiling is based on the theory that people, including criminals, revolve their lives around familiar anchor points. The underlying reasoning is that people stick to the same basic geographic locations because they like to feel comfortable. So, by measuring the hunting area of the criminal, geographic profiles can offer a geographic region where the suspect will most likely be found. The author next describes how Cpl. Carl Sesely received training to become a geographic profiler. There are only seven geographic profilers certified by the International Criminal Analysis Fellowship, making these professionals very rare and sought after for their expertise. The article concludes with expectations that as the requests for geographic profiling services increase, so will the number of professionals who receive training in this upcoming area of crime investigation.