Rigel Geographic Profiling

Geographic Profiling withGeographic Profiling with

Environmental Criminology Research Inc.

Vancouver, B.C., Canada

Rigel Geographic Profiling SoftwareRigel Geographic Profiling Software

•Rigel is the leadingprofessional geographicprofiling software.

•Rigel includes crime andsuspect databasemanagement, crimemapping, and temporalanalysis functions.

What is geographic profiling?What is geographic profiling?

Geographic profiling is ageospatial crime analysistechnique which examines thegeographic pattern of a crimeseries to determine where theoffender responsible is mostlikely based.

Why use geographicprofiling?Why use geographicprofiling?

•Improve the focus of the investigation by a factor of 10on average, by prioritizing the suspects and the areastargeted for further investigation.

•Solve serial cases faster and employ investigativeresources more efficiently.

Five Steps in Geographic ProfilingFive Steps in Geographic Profiling

1.Identify a linked series of crimes (linkage analysis).

2.Construct a scenario with the best set of crimelocations for geographic profiling.

3.Calculate the geographic profile and evaluate theresults.

4.Identify the peak profile area and prioritize the suspectlist.

5.Suggest possible investigative strategies based onthe profile.

RigelRigel

Step 1: The Linked SeriesStep 1: The Linked Series

•Geographic profiling is usedto analyze a series of crimeslinked to the same offenderoperating from the samebase location.

•If a crime series has not already beenidentified, the first step is to use linkageanalysis to identify the linked crimes. Rigelincludes advanced linkage analysisfunctions for this purpose.

•After you have identified the linked crime series, youcan select the subset of crime locations which will givethe most accurate geographic profile. This is called thescenario.

Step 2: The ScenarioStep 2: The Scenario

•It takes only a few seconds for Rigel to calculate anddisplay the geographic profile based on your scenario.

•Geoprofiling results are displayed in the form ofstatistics and charts, and the geoprofile itself is shownon a map with scores colored according to the legend.

Step 3: Calculate the GeoprofileStep 3: Calculate the Geoprofile

•The charts, statistics and map view of the geoprofile areused to judge its validity and spot any anomalies thatcould indicate a problem with the data or theassumptions. Interpretation of a geoprofile is taught ingeographic profiling courses.

•Advanced tools such as temporal animation, profilecomparison, and 3-D views are also provided in Rigelfor advanced profile interpretation.

Evaluating the GeoprofileEvaluating the Geoprofile

A geoprofile is normally used in two ways:

1.To identify the most likely area(s) to target forrecords searches and geographically-focusedinvestigative strategies.

2.To rank suspect lists in order of likelihood to fit thegeographic profile by home address or otherpotential base locations associated with thesuspect.

Step 4: Prioritize Areas and SuspectsStep 4: Prioritize Areas and Suspects

A geoprofile is not used to pinpoint a particular locationor suspect. This is a statistical technique where resultsare only probable, not certain.

•A “suspect” is normally a person who might be theoffender in the case, but in geographic profilingsuspects can also be locations rather than persons.

For example:

•The locations of stores which sell a particular type ofweapon or supplies used in the crimes (seeking thelocation where the purchases were made).

•Parking lots where the offender may be parking theirvehicle (seeking a suspicious vehicle).

What is a Suspect?What is a Suspect?

•Suspect lists can come from many sources,

such as:

•Databases of known offenders, parolees, registeredsex offenders etc.

•Tips and specific suspect lists developed byinvestigators.

•Searches of records systems such as the motorvehicle registry.

•As long as the suspects have known addresses orcoordinates, they can be prioritized by their calculatedhit score (a measure of how well the fit the geoprofile).

Prioritizing SuspectsPrioritizing Suspects

•The geographic profile identifies the peak areas whichare most likely to contain the offender’s base. Thestatistics of the crime pattern are used to calculate thearea boundaries.

•These peak areas can be displayed on a map andexported to a GIS for data filtering or planning resourcedeployments.

Prioritizing AreasPrioritizing Areas

•The results of geographic profiling are turnedinto actionable investigative strategies that usethe geoprofile to help solve the case.

•A long list of possible investigative strategies isavailable, developed from hundreds of actualcases where they were used.

Step 5: Develop Investigative StrategiesStep 5: Develop Investigative Strategies

Strategies based on a prioritized suspect list:

•DNA profiling or fingerprint checks

•Interviews, background checks, alibi checks

•Surveillance

Strategies based on prioritized areas:

•Increased patrols of the area

•Roadblocks or automated license plate numberrecognition on roads leading in and out of the area

•Door-to-door canvassing within the area

Examples ofInvestigative StrategiesExamples ofInvestigative Strategies

For moreinformation…For moreinformation…

Contact ECRI to request Rigel demonstrationsoftware, to get a quote, or to find out moreabout geographic profiling analysis training.

Email: info@ecricanada.com

Tel: +1 604 718 2060