Its use within major crime investigation has been proven and the technique now forms part of the guidelines for SIO's in the 'Murder Investigation Manual'.  New techniques such as Geographic Search Analysis are currently being developed by the profilers to assist in finding bodies.

Geographic analysis attempts to determine the most probable location of the offender's 'anchor point' which is frequently their residence but may in some cases be related to employment/social activity. It is based on the analysis of the locations of a connected series of offences, the characteristics of the neighbourhoods in which they have occurred and, where available, the behavioural analysis/psychological profile of the offender.

Not every case may be geographically profiled and generally a preliminary review is necessary to determine suitability, however the following crime types have been suitable for geographic profiling:

• Murder
• Rape and sexual assault
• Indecencies/exposures
• Abduction
• Arson
• Bombings/Explosive devices
• Robbery
• Burglary
• Multiple location crimes (telephone calls, credit cards,)

In addition to Geographic Profiling, the following services are also available to investigators:

Geographic Search Analysis (GSA)

The geographic profiling team have developed a technique that has been successfully used in searches for the body of a 'suspicious missing person' where it is believed that a known suspect has killed the victim but the body has not been recovered.

This process involves the application of certain analytical techniques (temporal and spatial analysis from a geographic perspective) that are set against intelligence gained of the suspects known movements, background and lifestyle. This is used to provide a prioritised list of the locations of probable sites used for developing the search strategy within the investigation.

Target Location Analysis (TLA)

As with GSA this technique has been developed for use in searches for a missing 'suspect' and is again based on detailed intelligence and applied in a similar manner to GSA.

Mapping Assistance

Assistance can be provided in respect of mapping out locations related to a crime or series of crimes. This can be useful when re-constructing historical cases or for presentation purposes for briefings and court.

Other specific analytical techniques

These include time - speed - distance calculations and Theissen Polygon analysis.

Crime Operational Support employ four full time Geographic Profilers based in the North, South, East and West regions of the UK. They will usually require the, if available, the behavioural analysis report. A visit to all the relevant scenes will be necessary.