Criminological Profiling

Abstract

The use of criminological profiling technique as a tool for criminal investigation, in recent years has been subject to revision as to its scientific basis, rigorous applicability and functionality for the law enforcement apparatus. In consequence, this investigation made its principal objective to provide recent information about the main concepts of criminal profiling, its utility and the critics it has received in Colombia. Content analysis was performed on 34 documents related to criminological profiling, corresponding to academic productions during the years of 1998 and 2012 in Bogotá by five universities, the National Penitentiary School and the School of Criminal Investigation of the National Police, in which training in legal psychology and criminal investigation is taught. The findings and conclusions of this document review indicate that, a) criminal profiling use as a technique in criminal investigation has been limited; b) its main use has been to understand the acts of those people that commit crimes, c) most of the knowledge in criminal profiling originates in the academy (universities), especially in the area of legal psychology, analyzing and making conceptual constructions without many ways of application of the technique in criminal activities, d) it is necessary to use this technique more frequently within the judicial and academic context of the Colombian capital.