Professionalizing Offender Profiling

Offender profiling is now viewed as an integral part of serious crime investigations by many law enforcement agencies across the world and continues to attract a high public and media profile. Despite almost three decades of research and developments in the field, the public impression of offender profiling is still influenced by misleading media portrayals, which fail to acknowledge the significant developments in theory, research and practice. This book is the only book on the market to illustrate in detail the actual practice of Behavioural Investigative Advice, its diversity in application, the underpinning academic literature and the remaining research questions and recommendations. Focussing on the professionalization of this developing discipline, it provides a fascinating insight into the modern role of a Behavioural Investigative Adviser, dispelling many of the myths still associated with offender profiling, and illustrating the continued aspiration of contemporary practitioners to adhere to the highest scientific standards. It provides a journey through the significant efforts to professionalise both the process and product of Behavioural Investigative Advice, supported by relevant theoretical, methodological and operational considerations. Edited by and containing contributions from some of the most respected and experienced researchers and practitioners working today, this book will be essential reading for Police Officers, researchers, students and anyone with an interest in the professionalization and contemporary contribution of forensic psychology to 21st century criminal investigation.

Laurence Alison is a Chartered Forensic Psychologist at Liverpool University, UK. Lee Rainbow is Head of Profession for Behavioural Investigative Advice at the NPIA, UK.

Preface: An Invented Truth and the Journey from R-v-Stagg Part 1: Professionalizing The Process Introduction 1. Taming the Beast: The UK Approach to the Management of Behavioural Investigative Advice 2. What Behavioural Investigative Advisors Actually Do? 3. BIA Support to Investigative Decision Making 4. Pragmatic solutions to offender profiling and behavioural investigative advice 5. The Cognitive Expertise of BIAs 6. The Cognitive Expertise of Geographic Profilers 7. Familial DNA Prioritisation 8. Child Pornography Offenders: Towards an Evidenced Based Approach to Prioritizing the Investigation of Indecent Image Offences Part 2: Professionalizing the Product Introduction 9. What do SIOs Want? 10. Interpreting Claims in Offender Profiles: The Role of Probability Phrases, Base-rates and Perceived Dangerousness 11. Stereotyping, Congruence and Presentation Order: Interpretative Biases in Utilizing Offender Profiles 12. An Evaluation and Comparison of Claims Made in Behavioural Investigative Advice Reports Compiled by the National Policing Improvements Agency in the United Kingdom 13. Conclusions and Next Steps