RT Article
T1 On the Complexity and Accuracy of Geographic Profiling Strategies
JF Journal of quantitative criminology
VO 21
IS 1
SP 1
OP 26
A1 Snook, Brent
A1 Zito, Michele
A1 Bennell, Craig
A1 Taylor, Paul J.
A2 Zito, Michele
A2 Bennell, Craig
A2 Taylor, Paul J.
LA English
YR 2005
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1764278739
AB Geographic profilers have access to a repertoire of strategies for predicting a serial offender’s home location. These strategies range in complexity—some involve more calculations to implement than others—and the assumption often made is that more complex strategies will outperform simpler strategies. In the present study, we tested the relationship between the complexity and accuracy of 11 strategies. Data were crime site and home locations of 16 UK residential burglars who had committed 10 or more crimes each. The results indicated that strategy complexity was not positively related to accuracy. This was also found to be the case across tasks that ranged in complexity (where complexity was determined by the number of crimes used to make a prediction). Implications for police’ policies and procedures, as well as our understanding of human decision-making, are discussed.
K1 Decision-making
K1 serial burglary
K1 Accuracy
K1 Complexity
K1 geographic profiling
DO 10.1007/s10940-004-1785-4