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Ethical Profiling

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Abstract

This essay will argue for ethical procedures governing criminal profiling. A model based upon psychological/behavioral data, witness data, and forensic profiling data is sketched out. This model fits the legitimate uses of criminal profiling as an investigation procedure. Racial profiling as a primary sorting factor does not fit the preferred model and has significant downsides and so is rejected as a primary sorting mechanism in criminal investigation procedure.

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Notes

  1. Of course there are other socially constructed racial stereotypes as well—such as the rabid Islamic extremist. As will be shown later in this essay such stereotypes have vague connection to some empirical data, but the conclusions are not supported by inductive logic.

  2. Of course the ideal of the criminal profiler who uses physical evidence and witnesses testimony (when available) to construct a psychological/behavioral model of the perpetrator first appeared in fiction through characters such as Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Sometimes real life follows art.

  3. cf. also to Schlesinger (2009), Kocsis (2003a, b, 2006), and Rossmo (2000).

  4. For the sake of completeness, let me report that any coercion on Malvo was held to be within his power reasonably to withstand. Thus, his sentence was not affected.

  5. It should be noted here that the sort of profiling described by this author is general profiling—using statistics to create type analysis. Instead, I have argued for an individualistic-style, token, profiling.

  6. This point links with my own examinations of a couple of actual cases in Boylan (2008).

  7. Jeffrey Reiman (1996) discusses automatic procedures that limit police discretion (and thereby support the liberty of all). A Batson style test with reasonable procedures that are developed over time would be in the spirit of Reiman’s argument.

  8. There is a brief discussion of the pros and cons of a form of the exclusionary ruling for evidence obtained via racial profiling by David Wasserman (1996).

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Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Greg McCrary, former field agent for the FBI, Michael Bolton, criminologist and former police detective, and Mary Lindahl, a high profile forensic psychologist for their real world insights that have greatly improved my essay. All errors, of course, are my own.

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  1. Marymount University, Arlington, VA, 22207, USA

    Michael Boylan

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  1. Michael Boylan
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Correspondence to Michael Boylan.

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Boylan, M. Ethical Profiling. J Ethics 15, 131–145 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10892-010-9092-9

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