Crime Linkage: Theory, Research, and Practice (Advances in Police Theory and Practice)

The increasing portrayal of forensic investigative techniques in the popular media CSI, for example, has resulted in criminals becoming "forensically aware" and more careful about leaving behind physical evidence at a crime scene. This presents law enforcement with a significant problem: how can they detect serial offenders if they cannot rely on p The increasing portrayal of forensic investigative techniques in the popular media--CSI, for example, has resulted in criminals becoming "forensically aware" and more careful about leaving behind physical evidence at a crime scene. This presents law enforcement with a significant problem: how can they detect serial offenders if they cannot rely on physical forensic evidence? One solution comes from psychology. A growing body of research has amassed in the area of behavioral consistency and the detection of serial offenders. A number of innovations are taking place in the field that have important implications for the practice of crime linkage and its use by police and the courts. Crime Linkage: Theory, Research, and Practice assembles this research and discusses its practical use. Topics include: Theoretical explanations for how, when, and why we may (or may not) see similarities in a person's crime scene behavior Consistency and distinctiveness in sexual offending An overview of crime linkage research conducted to date The use of crime linkage in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and the United States New directions for research and practice, including linking across crime types to expand the suspect pool The range of statistical methods used in research of crime linkage principles The book represents a collaboration of researchers and practitioners from across the globe who are recognized as experts in the area of behavioral consistency and detection of serial offenders. They provide a comprehensive and informative text on the psychological and criminological theories underpinning crime linkage, how it is used in practice, the challenges practitioners face, and current innovations that will shape the future of crime linkage research and practice. --Provided by publisher Content: Introduction: Time to Consolidate and Reflect; Jessica Woodhams and Craig Bennell Consistency and Distinctiveness of Criminal Behavior; Jessica Woodhams and Craig Bennell Sex Crime Linkage: Sexual Fantasy and Offense Plasticity; Dion Gee and Aleksandra Belofastov The Effect of Mental Disorder on Crime Scene Behavior, Its Consistency, and Variability; Jessica Woodhams and Kinga Komarzynska Linking Crimes with Spatial Behavior: A Need to Tackle Some Remaining Methodological Concerns; Brent Snook, Kirk Luther, and Sarah Macdonald Testing the Theories Underpinning Crime Linkage; Matthew Tonkin A Cross-National Comparison of Behavioral Consistency in Serial Homicide; C. Gabrielle Salfati Crime Linkage: A Practitioner's Perspective on Theory, Practice, and Research; Lee Rainbow The Use of Linkage Analysis Evidence in Serial Offense Trials; Gerard Labuschagne Crime Linkage as Expert Evidence-Making a Case for the Daubert Standard; Tom Pakkanen, Pekka Santtila, and Dario Bosco The Ability of Human Judges to Link Crimes Using Behavioral Information: Current Knowledge and Unresolved Issues; Rebecca Mugford and Melissa Martineau Extending Crime Linkage to Versatile Offenders; Matthew Tonkin Exploring If (Situation) ... Then (Behavior) Contingencies in Interpersonal Crimes; Jan M. Winter Informing Practice: Research Methods in Crime Linkage Analysis; Craig Bennell, Alasdair M. Goodwill, and Annie Chinneck Crime Linkage Research: Where to from Here? Craig Bennell and Jessica Woodhams Index The increasing portrayal of forensic investigative techniques in the popular media CSI , for example, has resulted in criminals becoming "forensically aware" and more careful about leaving behind physical evidence at a crime scene. This presents law enforcement with a significant how can they detect serial offenders if they cannot rely on physical forensic evidence? One solution comes from psychology. A growing body of research has amassed in the area of behavioral consistency and the detection of serial offenders. A number of innovations are taking place in the field that have important implications for the practice of crime linkage and its use by police and the courts. Crime Theory, Research, and Practice assembles this research and discusses its practical use. Topics The book represents a collaboration of researchers and practitioners from across the globe who are recognized as experts in the area of behavioral consistency and detection of serial offenders. They provide a comprehensive and informative text on the psychological and criminological theories underpinning crime linkage, how it is used in practice, the challenges practitioners face, and current innovations that will shape the future of crime linkage research and practice. This book is in the Advances in Police Theory and Practice series.