Criminal Profiling: Problems and Prospects

This work of Mr. Turvey appears as a text book of 25 chapters enhanced by several appendices, a glossary, and an index. While the book is under Turvey’s authorship there are four contributors identified. The writing style is generally casual with expressions of personal sentiment and bias included. There is a suggestion that the author is more in need of impressing rather than educating the reader. Neither the comprehension nor the objectivity are strengths of this work. To the casual reader the omissions of historical work in criminal psychopathology and psycho dynamics may not be noticeable nor will that be of behavioral analysis and its variance through different schools of thought. The presentations are superficial and fail to reveal the actual depth to which one’s training and experience need be to function as a member of an investigation team and perform crime scene behavioral reconstruction, analysis, and profiling. Mr. Turvey does not enlighten the reader with the normal differences in “profiling” based on the variance between schools of thought on human behavior. At present one may consider three categories of approach strategies and within each there can be expected variances. These issues are not addressed and the uninformed reader is left to believe that “profiling” is some generic process. As a subspecialty of criminal investigation, “profiling” requires a profound degree of comprehension in human behavior regardless of the particular school of thought. The more one moves toward questioning motive, the greater is the need for grasping issues of an unconscious nature. An argument may be made that especially in criminal “profiling” the practitioner should experience a personal analysis. While criteria for the qualifications of one who is to “profile” is addressed by Mr. Turvey, the depth of preparation is omitted. Possessing a university degree even in psychology is insufficient. Serving as a police officer or investigator with any department large or small, federal, state or local is not enough. These issues are not addressed by Mr. Turvey. The reader may be left with the idea that anyone with the “correct” training and experience can “profile. ” This would be a misleading impression. “Profiling” of the vary same scene is done at various levels depending on the specific approach strategy. To place oneself inside the dimensions of another person’s personality and character is extremely complex and demanding on the practitioner. In addition to knowledge and skill, the practitioner requires self management abilities to deal with the psychological impact of experiencing the “profile” process. These issues are missing from the text. At best, Criminal Profiling is an amateurish presentation of criminal investigation and “profiling. ” Unfortunately, law enforcement has little uniformity in approaching “profiling. ” The field itself is in its infancy despite decades of human behavioral analysis and profiling. The reasons for this situation are many and rest heavily on the uncertainty of law enforcement’s own identity. The cognitive style of scientific thought is not a common trait among law enforcement officers, including investigators. The tools of crime scene behavioral reconstruction, analysis, and profiling can be a significant adjunct to criminal investigation. However, to serve at its best will require professional development and dedication comparable to any meaningful scientific pursuit of truth. To understand the human unconscious is a prerequisite for entering the world of the criminal mind and its behavior. Every crime scene is a signature of the unique personality attributes responsible for its creation. Imagination propelled by human nature is the investigator’s best ally. When reason synthesizes knowledge and imagination, worthwhile productivity can result. This is the realm of criminal “profiling. ” BOOK REVIEW