Criminal Profiling Then and Now: Prospect and Challenges in Malaysia

The purpose of this article was to ascertain the concept of criminal profiling by taking into consideration the evolution of its definition, function, methodology and also the background of profiling officers from the beginning up to the present time. Using the critical and literature review approach, references from journals, books, statutes and international cases were analyzed to pinpoint the most recent developments to the criminal profiling method. While researches and literature reviews regarding criminal profiling were undoubtedly significant overseas, it was not the same case back in our homeland. Discussions were few and even then, not entirely focusing nor mentioning the procedures and practice of criminal profiling during investigation. It was also found that there seem to yet exist a clarity in regards to the definition and methodology of criminal profiling nor the background of profiler involved despite it being carried out during investigative process for a long period of time. This article also highlighted the challenges discovered in the practice of criminal profiling such as the vagueness of its method in our law, the existence of race-based profiling practice and the credibility of criminal profiling as an expert evidence in courts which was debatable due to the absence of any yardstick to determine the capability of a profiler. Received: 16 August 2021 / Accepted: 7 October 2021 / Published: 3 January 2022

Criminal Profiling: Framing of Charges Upon Sexual Offences

In criminal profiling in cases involving sexual offences, the charges must be drafted with a great degree of precision. Every sexual offence has its individual elements that need to be fulfilled before a charge is preferred. There are instances where the defects in charges are rendered to be fatal to the prosecution’s case and instances where Section 422 comes to aid and cures the irregularities in the charge. The objective of this research is to identify the common features that render a charge defective in cases related to sexual offences, the effect of the defects. It also aims to analyse the courts’ approach to determine whether the particular defect is fatal or curable and suggest solutions in handling defective charges to achieve the ultimate purpose of ensuring that justice is served and eliminating any prejudice towards the victim accused. Generally, charges for sexual offences are rendered defective when the charge fails to specify the kind of act which constitutes the alleged sexual act and the related provision. In order to achieve the objectives of this research, qualitative research was conducted through library research, case studies and data analysis. The possible solutions to handle a defective charge would be to determine whether a particular defect in itself would cause a miscarriage of justice by misleading an accused and stripping off the rights of the accused to defend himself. Since the purpose of a charge is mainly to notify the accused, as long as the defect in the charge did not mislead the accused in defending himself, the defects are considered mere irregularities.

METHODS OF CRIMINAL`S STUDYING IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND RUSSIA

Уровень преступности в нашей стране и в мире остается по-прежнему высоким. Изменения личности преступников обусловливают возникновение новых способов совершения преступлений. В результате этого необходимость изучения причин, условий и мотивов совершения общественно опасных деяний и особенностей лиц, их совершивших, посредством зарекомендовавших себя и получающих широкое распространение методик научного познания является актуальным для криминологии и иных наук криминального цикла. Авторы освещают понятие «криминальное профилирование», истоки его развития, особенности и условия применения данного метода в российской и американской криминологической практике. Кроме того, предпринята попытка обоснования его значения в отечественном правовом поле и определения перспектив дальнейшего развития. Цель и задачи работы - освещение позитивной зарубежной практики применения криминального профайлинга, возможность заимствования положительного опыта в России. Основными результатами настоящей статьи выступили апробированные рядом зарубежных стран способы изобличения преступников по характерному почерку совершения преступлений, причинам и условиям, им способствующим, криминальной мотивации. На основе анализа зарубежных источников и литературы авторы обосновывают вывод о положительных аспектах вошедшей в практику методики криминального профайлинга за рубежом и расширении ее сферы в нашей стране. Материалы статьи будут интересны ученым и практикам, занимающимся борьбой с преступностью вообще и в условиях изоляции от общества за рубежом отдельных категорий осужденных в частности. The crime rate remains high in our country and in the world. New ways of committing crimes are constantly emerging, and nature of criminal personality is also changing.The need to study the causes, conditions and motives for the committing of socially-dangerous acts and the characteristics of persons who committed them through proven and widely used methods of scientific knowledge does not lose relevance for criminology and other sciences of the criminal cycle. The authors highlight the concept of «criminal profiling», the origins of its development, and the peculiarities of the use of this method in Russian and American criminological practice.Moreover, an attempt was made to substantiate its significance in the domestic legal field and determine the prospects for further development. The goals and objectives of the research are to highlight the positive foreign practice of using criminal profiling, the possibility of borrowing positive experience in Russia. The main results of this article were the ways to expose criminals by the distinctive pattern in crime, the reasons and conditions that contribute to them and the reasons for illegal activities tested by a number of foreign countries. Based on the analysis of foreign sources and literature, the authors justify the conclusion about the positive aspects of the practice of criminal profiling abroad and the expansion of its sphere in our country. The materials of the article will be interesting to scientists and practitioners involved in the fight against crime in general and in isolation from society abroad of certain categories of convicts in particular.

The Psychological Implications of #EndSARS Protest in Nigeria: A Theoretical Expository Approach

The nation of Nigeria recently experienced unprecedented violence occasioned by the activities of the Special Anti- Robbery Squad, popularly known as SARS. This tactical Police unit charged with the onerous responsibility of dealing with violent crimes such as car-jerking, armed robbery, kidnapping, and sundry crimes allegedly became a terror against Nigerians. They were accused of brutality, rights abuse, undue criminal profiling of youths, rape, extra-judicial killings, among other forms of abuse. These states of affair prompted Nigerian youths to initiate a protest against this Police unit tagged #EndSARS. The protest at inception was a peaceful one. Unfortunately, this supposed peaceful protest degenerated into a chaotic and violent one across the country, largely due to the high handedness of security operatives, particularly the special anti robbery squad. Consequently, several people lost their lives, public and private properties were burnt or destroyed, unimaginable looting occurred, several correctional centres witnessed jail-break, among other forms of violence. The aim of this paper therefore is to examine the psychological implications of the #EndSARS protest in Nigeria. This was done by analysing the position of some psychological theories, with the frustration-aggression hypothesis forming the theoretical framework for the analysis. Thereafter, recommendations were proffered on ways to avoid further protest, including the need for government to see the development of the youth as a priority in Nigeria.

Criminal Profiling: Application of The FBI’s Typology in Homicides Occurred in the City of São Paulo

The criminal profiling technique, developed in the second half of the last century, has proved to be a useful resource as an investigative technique, especially when conventional techniques have not been productive and is closely associated with the Behavioral Sciences and with Forensic Criminology, being used to direct to investigate by reducing the number of suspects in a crime. Among the various methodologies available, the Crime Scene Analysis stands out, popularly known as the “FBI Method”, developed by agents from the Behavioral Science Unit (BSU - Behavioral Science Unit) of the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation, an organ American investigation agency of federal autarchy, which has certain similarities to the Federal Police of Brazil) from the 1980s. In this article, the application of such methodology for the initial characterization of the criminal profile of homicide suspects ant authors in the city of São Paulo through the study of real cases in which the author worked, performing the examination of the crime scene.

A National Examination of the Spatial Extent and Similarity of Offenders’ Activity Spaces Using Police Data

It is well established that offenders’ routine activity locations (nodes) shape their crime locations, but research examining the geography of offenders’ routine activity spaces has to date largely been limited to a few core nodes such as homes and prior offense locations, and to small study areas. This paper explores the utility of police data to provide novel insights into the spatial extent of, and overlap between, individual offenders’ activity spaces. It includes a wider set of activity nodes (including relatives’ homes, schools, and non-crime incidents) and broadens the geographical scale to a national level, by comparison to previous studies. Using a police dataset including n = 60,229 burglary, robbery, and extra-familial sex offenders in New Zealand, a wide range of activity nodes were present for most burglary and robbery offenders, but fewer for sex offenders, reflecting sparser histories of police contact. In a novel test of the criminal profiling assumptions of homology and differentiation in a spatial context, we find that those who offend in nearby locations tend to share more activity space than those who offend further apart. However, in finding many offenders’ activity spaces span wide geographic distances, we highlight challenges for crime location choice research and geographic profiling practice.

ROLE OF FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY IN CYBER INVESTIGATION

This paper focuses on the application of forensic psychology tools in cyber investigation and tries to light on cyber forensic equipment. The internet helped us greater in communiqué and all similar trends. Except for those features, the digital global has extended its hands to unlawful activities. We can't blame technology for crimes, it is all about who is using it. Cybercrimes is likewise about the maladaptive behaviour of human and Disrupted existence. In cybercrime investigations analysing human behaviour is inevitable. Cyber psychology is interdisciplinary vicinity wherein behavioural science and cyber technology merge. Exceptional forensic tools are used in the cyber investigation are autopsy, O.S. forensic toolkit, RAM forensics, TrueCrypt, DFF, and Wireshark, etc. Cyber-crook behaviour may be analysed via the utility of forensic psychology strategies. Forensic psychology investigation tools are applicable in cybercrimes as well. Cyber-criminal behaviour can be analysed through the application of forensic psychology techniques. It can be utilized for the identification, and authentication of the perpetrator who has executed cybercrime or to show his innocence. Deception detection techniques are very beneficial to screen those criminals who've been committed cybercrimes. Criminal profiling and Geographical profiling will plot the personality picture of the cyber offender.

Risk Assessment of Mass Shootings

This chapter turns its focus to ways to assess the risk of mass shootings. Risk assessment is used for the prevention and initial identification of violence. The usefulness of risk assessment instruments in this process is debated. Also discussed is the viability of criminal profiling, looking at characteristics associated with a particular type of offender. To add to the discussion, the motives of previous mass shooters selected as case studies are detailed. This goes some way to showing that the varied motivations of perpetrators make it difficult to adequately assess the risk posed. The next chapter will illustrate that threat assessment is a more useful approach to determine whether an individual intends to perpetrate a mass shooting.