Rights statement: The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Criminal Justice and Behavior, 39 (5), 2012, © SAGE Publications Ltd, 2012 by SAGE Publications Ltd at the Criminal Justice and Behavior page: http://cjb.sagepub.com/ on SAGE Journals Online: http://online.sagepub.com/
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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Computerized crime linkage systems: A critical review and research agenda
AU - Bennell, Craig
AU - Snook, Brent
AU - MacDonald, Sarah
AU - House, John
AU - Taylor, Paul
N1 - The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Criminal Justice and Behavior, 39 (5), 2012, © SAGE Publications Ltd, 2012 by SAGE Publications Ltd at the Criminal Justice and Behavior page: http://cjb.sagepub.com/ on SAGE Journals Online: http://online.sagepub.com/
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Computerized crime linkage systems are meant to assist the police in determining whether crimes have been committed by the same offender. In this article, the authors assess these systems critically and identify four assumptions that affect the effectiveness of these systems. These assumptions are that (a) data in the systems can be coded reliably, (b) data in the systems are accurate, (c) violent serial offenders exhibit consistent but distinctive patterns of behavior, and (d) analysts have the ability to use the data in the systems to link crimes accurately. The authors argue that there is no compelling empirical support for any of the four assumptions, and they outline a research agenda for testing each assumption. Until evidence supporting these assumptions becomes available, the value of linkage systems will remain open to debate.
AB - Computerized crime linkage systems are meant to assist the police in determining whether crimes have been committed by the same offender. In this article, the authors assess these systems critically and identify four assumptions that affect the effectiveness of these systems. These assumptions are that (a) data in the systems can be coded reliably, (b) data in the systems are accurate, (c) violent serial offenders exhibit consistent but distinctive patterns of behavior, and (d) analysts have the ability to use the data in the systems to link crimes accurately. The authors argue that there is no compelling empirical support for any of the four assumptions, and they outline a research agenda for testing each assumption. Until evidence supporting these assumptions becomes available, the value of linkage systems will remain open to debate.
KW - crime linkage systems comparative case analysis behavioral linking serial crimes behavioral consistency policing
KW - comparative case analysis
KW - behavioral linking
KW - serial crimes
KW - behavioral consistency
KW - policing
U2 - 10.1177/0093854811435210
DO - 10.1177/0093854811435210
M3 - Journal article
VL - 39
SP - 620
EP - 634
JO - Criminal Justice and Behavior
JF - Criminal Justice and Behavior
SN - 0093-8548
IS - 5
ER -