Overview of Crime Analysis
Crime analysis defines a process by the police in following suitably set out examinations aimed at identifying and studying crime trends. Crime analysis aims at providing significant crime data to be used in decision making. This can be carried out under a tactical perspective, which consists of identifying crime series and the offenders and unraveling the crimes. The tactical analysis gives information used in assisting in identifying immediate crime tribulations resulting in the arrest of a specific criminal (Cassel, & Bernstein, 2001).
This is centered on an offender’s behavior. This is imperative for crime deterrence. This analysis is applied in order to receive sustaining grant requests. It is also employed to initiate extra staffing and appropriately respond to citizen requirements, including crime reporting (Crime Analysis, 2010). In carrying out crime analysis, one of the approaches used by criminologists is that of establishing a series profile under the tactical analysis approach. In the development of the series profile, a criminal’s distinctiveness forms a fundamental part.
Among the areas the series profile will cover includes the categorization of the series, physical description of the criminal, their means of transportation description, crime(s) committed or a succession of events description, modus operandi, and the offender’s signature and motivation. Generally, modus operandi focuses on the behavior critical to the success of the committing of a crime (Alston, 2010). This touches on what a criminal does to carry out a crime.
A modus operandi includes elements like to ensure the attainment of the crime, the safeguarding of the offender’s identity, and the successful getaway from the scene of the crime. Modus operandi is thus a cultured behavior and constitutes things like maturity, education, and know-how. Alston categorizes a series profile under one of the three classes. Class I involves a single offender who acts alone throughout reported offenses.
Class II involves two or more offenders acting in collaboration where all of them are familiar in all the cases. Class III involves two or more offenders carrying out some of the crimes together or alternately with some obligatory element keeping the group together while continuing the series. The physical description is another important element of a series profile. Grouping behaviors as a process in MO is vital, particularly in linkage analysis, in which case decisions can be arrived at as to whether given crimes are a component of a series. This is eventually important for crimes occurring chronologically.
Identifying the nature of the offender under consideration also points to the modus operandi. It also will involve activities assisting the offender in preventing their identification and those of their accomplice who may be aiding them to flee from the final crime scene. Criminological theorists attempt to make logic basing on some criminal behavior. They see patterns that can translate into series. A crime series defines a scenario in which more than two crimes are done individually or as a group.
Tactical Analysis
The approach taken in view of the summaries indicated here is the tactical analysis approach. This view focuses on the need to gain the insight necessary in assisting in discovering the crime. Both the administrative and strategic approaches focus on management perspectives of crime, unlike the tactical approach which is investigative. In making an analysis of the three different incidences we can note a very common occurrence that involves the suspects emptying the cash boxes and making away with carton of Marlboro cigarettes.
Crime Series
The consistency portrayed in these sets of crimes points to the fact that this is a kind of series, probably performed by a group of individuals.
Consistent Modus Operandi Elements in the Cases
Borrowing from the understanding of modus operandi we can establish a linkage analysis especially noting that the three crimes were performed chronologically 25th July, 5th August and 18th August. In all cases the offenders wore varied masks and used guns during the crimes. Money and cigarettes were taken from the crime scenes. These are part of the criminals’ modus operandi which give a clue and can assist in establishing their identity. In one of the crime summaries the victim identifies the offender by a large tattoo of a spider on the right leg. In series profiling two of the three summaries touch on vehicle description a ford Taurus with a temporary license plate used in their escape eastwards.
Inconsistency in Elements of the Modus Operandi for the Cases
We however note a slight difference based on modus operandi for the crime committed on the 18th of August at Shirley’s Donut shop where the assailant was a lone offender who exhibited physical violent behaviour by hitting the clerk with the butt of his gun. In executing the crime we also realize him making a series of statements one of which indicates that he executed the crime with a group that gave him cover outside the shop.
Suitable Work Products Aiding a Tactical Analysis of This Series
The types of work products that may be employed as pertains to the identification of the offenders in this series could include the aspect of cover up in this case summaries we point out the different types of masks and clothing used show some consistency to a particular group of persons, caution taken in terms of instruction to the victims being robbed where for the first two cases it was just one instruction to the clerk to keep mum, items taken which in all the three cases was money and cigarettes , transport and direction of flight which involved a temporarily licensed Ford Taurus that on two noted occasions took an eastbound direction after the crime.
References
Alston, J. (2010). Understanding Criminal Behaviour. Web.
Cassel, E., & Bernstein, D.A. (2001). Criminal Behaviour 1st Ed. Massachusetts: D.A. Allyn & Bacon.
Crime analysis. (2010). Gilbert, Arizona Police Department. Web.