Forensic intelligence and crime analysis
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- Publication Type:
- Journal Article
- Citation:
- Ribaux, O. et al. 2003 'Forensic intelligence and crime analysis', Law Probability and Risk, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 47-60.
- Issue Date:
- 2003
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Computerized databases have been developed in forensic science to provide intelligence
for the investigator. For example, automated fingerprint identification systems (AFIS)
and DNA databases efficiently help identify potential suspects or, particularly for DNA,
link crime scenes. Other evidence such as various marks transferred during the offence,
items left by the offender (such as clothing or accessories) or information captured
through devices such as surveillance cameras could also be exploited systematically to
provide similar intelligence. However, if such systems exist under the form of operational
databases, they commonly struggle to overcome computational complexities pertaining
to the retrieval and comparison of traces from large quantities of data. Thus, the use of
forensic case data combined with the temporal and geographical dimensions of the crime
is often felt as a necessary development, but the circumstances in which the visualization
of traces on maps can help to provide accurate and useful analyses remain to be identified.
A limited study will illustrate the potential of forensic case data to provide intelligence
through inferences which vary from the traditional model initiated by DNA and AFIS
databases. Specifically, it shows that the occurrence of certain characteristics of shoemarks,
toolmarks and/or glovemarks can be concentrated in geographical areas and/or during
delineated periods of time. These clusters can then be scrutinized to help reveal a series
of potentially linked crimes. The experiment confirms that this two-step process, which
does not require the implementation of complex computer systems, can be systematically
applied as a crime analysis method and as an investigative tool.
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