preview

The Pros And Cons Of Criminal Profiling

Decent Essays
Open Document

Law enforcement uses a number of different methods and tools to help solve crimes. One process that has gained great attention in modern times is called criminal profiling. Profiling is the recording and analysis of a person's psychological and behavioral characteristics, so as to assess or predict their capabilities in a certain sphere or to assist in identifying a particular subgroup of people. Police in New York and elsewhere continued to consult psychologists and psychiatrists to develop profiles of particularly difficult-to-catch offenders. Psychologist is an expert or specialist in psychology. While psychiatrists is a medical practitioner specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. Psychology plays a role in criminal justice and solving crimes. Profiling is also used as a means of attempting to and in most cases succeeding to predict the next move of a criminal who may be on what is commonly referred to as a 'spree'. They are advantages and disadvantages in criminal profiling. …show more content…

Criminal profiling can provide law enforcement officials with an idea of who to look for based on the evidence that is seen. It can also help protect citizens from potentially becoming a victim. “If law enforcement officials know that an unknown criminal is targeting specific demographics of people, then they can warn those demographics and moved to protect them so that they don’t also become a victim of a crime”. (Pros And Cons Of Criminal Profiling, 2014) Another advantage is that it helps find and catch a criminal faster than usual because of the pattern developed by a criminal profiler. It’s easier for law enforcement to catch a criminal based on the information provided about a person's psychological and behavioral characteristics. This can determine a criminal next

Get Access