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We understand how difficult some situations can be.  We are available on a consultation basis to review your specific concern.  By completing a comprehensive behavioral assessment and evaluating the findings with current law, we can assist you in re-directing efforts in regard to criminal cases, civil cases or training.
 
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The IOIS may conduct a crime analysis of particular crimes for several purposes. Criminal investigative analysis (CIA) is simply a tool for law enforcement to assist in the solution of unsolved crimes. It involves a method of reviewing and assessing the facts of a criminal act by individuals who have investigative experience and specialized academic training. It often includes interpreting the offenders’ behavior and interaction with the victim, as exhibited during the commission of the crime or as evidenced by the subsequent crime scene. CIA should be viewed as a process of reviewing crime(s) from a law enforcement prospective.

The various products of services which might result from an analysis are as follows:
1. Crime Analysis _ An independent analyst, who is uncluttered with various on scene stresses and extraneous information, reviews initial crime scene information and preliminary investigative efforts. Possible motives may be detected as well as determining the sequence of the events which occurred during the offense. Multiple crimes can be reviewed to determine if the same offender was involved, and suggestions can be offered that may help direct the course of an investigation. The case may also be classified using categories set forth in the Crime Classification Manual, Lexington Press, 1992.

2. Profiles of Unknown Offenders _ By analyzing the way a crime was committed, investigative profilers can identify the major personality and behavioral characteristics of an individual. Generally, the person’s basic patterns of behavior exhibited in commission of a crime will also be present in that person’s lifestyle. Thus, an investigative analysis may be able to determine the type of person who committed the crime and their possible motive(s). Some, but not necessarily all, of the following areas may be addressed in a typical profile:

Age Range Social Adjustment
Sex Personality / Characteristics
Race Emotional Adjustment
Intelligence Level Employment History / Adjustment
Lifestyle Prior Criminal Arrest History
Work Habits Sexual Adjustment & Perversions
Marital Status / Adjustment Location of Residence in Relation to Crime(s)
Pre and Post Offense Behavior

No two criminals, nor any two criminal acts, are identical and therefore the offender is not expected to fit each and every category of the analysis. It should be noted that if a profile has previously been prepared by another agency or professional (ie; FBI, forensic psychiatrist), IOIS may not create a separate profile however it may, if appropriate, review the original and offer any additional observations.

3. Personality Assessment _ This type of analysis identifies a suspect’s strengths, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities from a law enforcement viewpoint. Because each request is unique, the assessment process requires a detailed submission of data about the person targeted and demands extensive review and consultation by the analyst. The availability of this material is considered essential to constructing appropriate interview strategies.

4. Interview Techniques _ This combines a personality assessment with an analysis of the crime and the behavior exhibited therein. Suggestions are then made as how to best interview a subject, particularly when the agency may only have one opportunity for a successful interview. These may include suggestions on the most appropriate type of interview, desired approach, and the best environment in which to conduct the interview.

5. Investigative Suggestions _ These may be offered based on an evaluation of the crime scene and an assessment of the offender.

6. Prosecutive and Trial Strategies _ This service may be provided at the request of either the investigative agency or prosecuting attorney. They can involve recommendations to include:

A. Considerations regarding jury selection
B. Possible cross-examination techniques for offender and/or witnesses (will require personality assessments)
C. Overall prosecutive theme development
D. Crime analysis / crime motivation

7. Threat Analysis _ When verbal or written communications are received, this service will attempt to determine if the same author is responsible for the communications and / or whether the author has the intent, knowledge or means to carry out the threats. A behavioral description of the author may be provided to assist in their identification and apprehension.

8. Search Warrant Assistance _ A major component of criminal investigative analysis is research which has shown that certain behavior and personality traits are commonly possessed by specific types of offenders (ie: child molesters) This information can be highly beneficial in search warrant affidavits in order to describe the types of evidence that can be expected to be found (ie: souvenirs from victims; seemingly innocuous items which may have evidentiary value). Timeliness (staleness) issues might be alleviated through the appropriate use of data gained from current research.

9. Forensic Assistance _ One of the most difficult areas for police investigators to understand is that of forensic evidence. Very few officers have sufficient technical training to properly interpret bloodstain patterns, DNA results, etc.. This service will provide help in determining which analytical tools would be most beneficial and who to call for the best advice. Areas of expertise include fingerprint analysis, firearms identification, trace evidence (hairs, fibers, soil, etc.) blood and other physiological and scene reconstruction.

10. Criminal Justice Databases _ Utah possesses state of the art technology and computer databases to assist law enforcement. AFIS, CODIS, DRUGFIRE, NCIC, and ULLEIN off_line searches are some examples of resources. It is the intent of IOIS to make every technological resource understandable and available for help in solving crime.

11. Expert Testimony  Occasionally, successful prosecutive stategies incorporate the use of expert witness / testimony in support of case presentation. IOIS will maintain a reference base to assist any agency in identifying possible resources.


While the various strategy and assessment types of assistance may be applied in any type of case, crime analyses and profiles may only be available in certain instances. Sufficient information and indicators of behavioral traits MUST be available. When any of the following circumstances exist, crime analysis or investigative profiles may be of little or questionable value. The presence of one or more of the following factors may have a limiting impact on whether or not a crime analysis will be constructed by the IOIS.

1. Age of Case _ While age itself does not preclude review (we’ve examined cases over 3,500 years old), it is the availability and completeness of case materials and information that determines whether services can be provided.

2. Incomplete Investigations _ The assistance of IOIS analysis are more likely to be affected when attempted before sufficient information is available to review.  Exceptions regarding certain materials can be made when exigent circumstances exist.

3. Evidence is Significantly Disturbed or Destroyed   Some situations may lead to an analysis that does not reflect the true personality of the participants. Likewise, scenes with significant destruction, such as by fire, are difficult to analyze. In such cases, evidence of the participant’s behavior, which provides needed insight to the participant’s personality, becomes unavailable to the analyst.

4. Only Skeletal Remains of Victim are Located   In some cases it may be important to determine if the victim was tortured, the cause and manner of death, and other factors which skeletal remains cannot provide. Finding of skeletal remains may not totally preclude IOIS evaluation, but may limit the depth and scope of any assessment. Development of adequate victimology then becomes all the more paramount.

5. Victim is High Risk _ The higher risk lifestyles of certain victims tend to diminish the precision of the analysis. Prostitutes, drug dealers, drug users with extensive habits, homosexuals who cruise, bookies, extortionate collectors of debts, etc. open themselves to a world of crime and to a high number of potential offenders. Factors which might lesson IOIS’s reluctance to evaluate high risk victim cases would include:

A. Crime scene location
B. Offender’s risk in commission of the crime
C. Crime is one of a series

6. Suspect(s) Have Been Developed _ A case with a strong suspect (one who is linked to the crime through a witness, other investigation, or physical evidence) will not be profiled. This particularly includes sexual assaults perpetrated by acquaintances or family members. However other assistance, such as interview or investigative strategies, prosecutive stategy, personality assessment, investigative strategies, etc., may still be available.

7. Single Offenses _ When only one event is available to be analyzed, the behavior displayed may be an aberration and not the subject’s norm. Single offenses can be analyzed providing there is enough information available to get a true impression of the offender’s personality and behavior (ie: a surviving victim is able to recount details of a prolonged interaction with the offender, or a bizarre homicide scene when sufficient victimology information is available). When analyzing multiple offenses a better conclusion can be drawn regarding the true, consistent behaviors of the offender.

THE TYPES OF CASES MOST FREQUENTLY SUBMITTED FOR ANALYSIS INCLUDE:

Homicides (single, multiple, serial, mutilation, lust)
Sexual Assaults (single or serial)
Extortions
Threats
Kidnapping
Child Molestations
Arsons & Bombings
Ritualistic Crimes
False Allegations (ie; sexual assault cases)
Product Tampering
Corruption Cases (all types)
Equivocal Deaths (may be accidental, homicide, suicide; includes autoerotic fatalities)
Other cases may be reviewed on a case by case basis

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