Four types of profiles are 1) the offender profile, 2) the victim profile, 3) the DNA profile, and 4) the geographic profile. Offender profiling involves obtaining information from law enforcement regarding the types of people who commit crimes (Douglass & Burgess, 1986). From the data compiled about crimes and individuals who commit crimes, an offender profile is developed to identify the type of person who might commit crime. These types are categorized according to crime, with a specific profile developed for a specific crime. For example, the profile of an individual who might be an arsonist would differ from the profile of an individual who might be a drug dealer.
Victim profiling involves creating a database of information on victims of crimes obtained from law enforcement. Specific crimes are linked to specific types of victims and a profile is created of individuals who are likely to be victims of a specific crime much in the same way a profile is created of an individual who is likely to engage in a specific crime.
DNA profiling is conducted by obtaining genetic data on an individual. Specifically it entails collecting the variable number tandem repeats or VNTRs of the loci on a chromosome. VNTRs are what distinguish DNA sequences. Obtaining VNTRs is like obtaining fingerprints, it just doesn’t require a person’s fingers; all it requires is a cell from the body—a hair, blood, nail or piece of skin will do (Panneerchelvam & Norazmi, 2003)
Geographical profiling looks at where crimes are committed and develops a profile of places, indicating where crimes are likely to be committed based on the geographical characteristics of the place. For example, if a building is abandoned it might be considered to have a geographic profile for where drug use could be going on.
A thorough psychological profile...
Even a DNA profile could play a part as DNA sequences tend to vary by geography as well (Freeman, 2018).
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An example of an offender profile would be an individual who has robbed a convenience store. He has tattoos on his legs, is armed, always takes 2 cartons of Marlboro Reds after robbing the cash register by climbing over the counter, and gets away in a car waiting outside. The offender’s race, height, weight, age, sex, and other characteristics would also serve to make up his profile.
This profile could be coupled with a geographic profile by looking at what part of town the convenience store is in, what time of day or night the robbery occurs, how heavy traffic is at the time, whether the convenience store is empty of customers or busy, whether other robberies have taken place nearby, and so on.
Victim profiling could also be used by examining the clerk on duty at the time of the robbery. Is there something significant about the clerk? Are there any ethnic, sex, age, weight or height characteristics that might fit in with a pattern of offender types who prey on victim types?
If an altercation breaks out and the offender’s blood or skin or hair is left behind at the scene of the crime, a DNA profile could be obtained that could be used to link the offender to other crimes if his DNA is already on record.
An example of a victim profile might be an individual who is robbed at gunpoint after leaving a strip club at 3 a.m. The victim’s identifying characteristics would help to create the profile: what is the victim’s sex, ethnicity, height, weight, socio-economic background? Other questions…
