Profiling in Sweden and UK Police Services: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

Abstract

The Police Service in both Sweden and UK have utilised offender profiling in major crime investigations for decades, while as the Norwegian Police Service rarely have incorporated this investigative tool in their work. Contrary to Sweden and UK, Norway have never had an established group holding profiling competence within their organisation. On rare occasions during the 1990`s the Norwegian Police Service were supported by offender profilers from abroad. This study examines Swedish and UK profiler`s own evaluation of profiling work on different aspects and levels within their respective organisation. The results show that profiling might not be the same as twenty years ago. The profiler`s own evaluation of their work and how they support ongoing major crime investigations may lay the foundation of a profiling discussion within the Norwegian Police Services as profiling might be a tool for investigations also in Norway.