ABSTRACT
In pursuit of ‘intelligence led policing’ the paper brings together psychological principles underpinning the understanding of crime to present an operational system for analysing volume crime. The account commences with an abridged history of crime analysis chronicling the longevity of the Modus Operandi system and the pins-in-map approach of more recent times. Drawing from research on temporal, spatial and crime scene behaviour the system defines the disciplines of Comparative Case Analysis, Suspect Identification and Target Profiling. The system, which is operational in at least one British Police Force, is illustrated by studies of house burglary and can be applied to any serial crime ranging from murder to cycle theft. The system organises mental processes and is supported by data handling and mapping technology rather than being driven by the latest commercially developed software.
