Role of a Criminologist in Policing
Criminology is the scientific study of crimes, those who commit them, their consequences, and how to mitigate them. Though there is no universally agreed definition of crime, from a legalistic point of view, it is an act that is illegal or which violates the law. Criminology is a sub-group of sociology, which refers to the study of human behavior. There are various fields of study in criminology, including statistics, psychology, psychiatry, biology, economics, and anthropology. A criminologist is a person who studies criminology and ultimately deals with the social aspect of crime. Criminology is different from criminal justice, which is concerned with the process of implementing justice to those who have committed crimes. There are various ways a criminologist works with other security organs such as the police department in policing or maintaining law and order in society.
Examining the causes and origin of crime
A criminologist’s role is to study why certain kinds of crime take place and who commits them. Such information will help the police identify criminals, understand their behavior, and deal with them accordingly. For example, in one study, criminologist sought to determine if immigration was a significant cause of crime across Italian provinces. They found out that immigration only caused an increase in robberies while not affecting other forms of crime. They concluded that since robbery only constituted a small percentage of overall crime, immigration had a negligible contribution to the increased crime rate in those regions (Bianchi, Buonanno, & Pinotti, 2012). Another research conducted in Chicago found out that lead poisoning had an effect on increased criminal behavior in early childhood (Sampson., & Winter, 2018). Information like this provided by criminologists will help the police formulate policies to deal with different crime types.
Measuring Crime
Criminologists analyze the extent of crime and its harm either at the local, national, or international level. This information is essential to the government in making decisions as to where to prioritize the allocation of police resources. Criminologists use various tools to carry out this analysis. One research examined two such methods: crime harm index (CHI) and crime severity score (CSS). Although the two methods weigh crime counts against the severity of crime type, the research found out that they gave different results (Ashby, 2018). A criminologist, therefore, needs to determine which method to use given a particular situation. Research conducted by Hipp and Kim demonstrates a good example of measuring crime. They were able to determine statistically that crime concentration differed across 42 cities in Southern California, each having a population of at least 40,000 people (2017). A criminologist’s role is vital to the police in determining how much resources to deploy to various regions in dealing with crime.
Analyzing Ways of Preventing and Controlling Crime
A criminologist will help law enforcement agencies develop the best strategies and policies in preventing crime and reforming criminals. The importance of preventing crime is to have a safe society and a higher life quality (Mariana, 2015). This situation will enable people to live in harmony and peace. Some of the preventive interventions that were found to be effective include community involvement in security issues, policing, situational prevention, sentencing, and rehabilitation (Homel, 2017). It is the criminologist’s responsibility to find out which of these and other methods work best given a particular situation. After carrying out the required analysis, a criminologist would advise the police department on the best strategy to control crime. For example, one research concluded that community policing, a model where the community members cooperate with the police forces in preventing crime, can be quite useful in certain situations (Eka, Amiruddin, & Cahyowati, 2020). Criminologists conduct research of this nature to develop the best preventive strategies to be employed by the police department in fighting crime.
Analyzing the Effectiveness of Law Enforcement to Crime
Criminologists collect data and analyze it to determine if the laws enacted in a country to avert crime are working or not. Based on their analysis, new rules can be passed, some existing ones get retained, and redundant ones scrapped or amended. Without the input of criminologists, it would be challenging for the government to know if it is on the right track. For example, there has been debate in the U.S. if the medical legalization of bhang could bring a surge in the crime rate. This issue prompted researchers to carry out a study that led to the conclusion that there was no significant relationship between the legalization of marijuana and the increase in the crime rate (Morris, TenEyck, Barnes, & Kovandzic, 2014). Another research sought to determine the effect of laws giving people the right to carry guns across various U.S. states. It was found out that the rules did not cause an increase in violent or property crime but caused a short term surge in robbery and a medium-term decline in murder rates ( Shi & Lee, 2018). These are examples demonstrating what criminologists do and the importance of their work in policing.
Analyzing The Rehabilitation of Criminals
It is criminologists’ work to carry out studies to determine if various correctional and rehabilitation programs designed to reform criminals are working or not. Different rehabilitation methods apply differently to varying categories of criminals. For instance, research showed that in rehabilitation, men ought to be encouraged to take up economic roles and responsibilities. In contrast, for women, rehabilitation should be focused on preventing the formation of relationships and control of emotions (Jessica & Wyse, 2013). Another example is a study that sought to determine how Roman Catholic clergy who have sexually assaulted children should be rehabilitated. The research suggested that three forms of rehabilitation can be applied: psychological treatment, restorative justice, and ritual healing (Anderson, 2015). without doing an in-depth analysis, it would be challenging to know which correctional efforts are significant for particular offenders. This analysis is a crucial role performed by criminologists.
Analyzing Criminals and Their Role in Society
Criminologists are equipped with skills to analyze what effects criminals bring in society. Crime is known to impact the community negatively. For example, research conducted in Virginia showed that the existence of a registered sex offender in a neighborhood caused property prices to go down in that neighborhood (Wentland, Waller, & Brastow, 2014). A criminologist will also profile different types of criminals, understand their behavior, and provide the information to police who will then arrest and deal with them accordingly. He will attempt to look into the criminals’ biological, social, and psychological backgrounds to give suggestions on the best way of dealing with them. One research identifies criminal profiling as an excellent investigative procedure but disagrees that racial profiling is useful (Michael, 2011). Profiling is a criminologist’s work and is done to identify the criminal and his location to facilitate arrest and conviction in a court of law.
Examining Crime Scenes and Collecting Evidence
When a crime is committed, criminologists visit the area to collect evidence such as fingerprints and DNA samples. These samples then assist the police in comprehending the offenders and charging them in a court of law. In their book, Cracking Cases: The Science of Solving Crimes, Dr. Lee, one of the world’s renowned criminologist, and Neil, gives an account of how Dr. Lee helped solve fiver murder cases including the popular and widely publicized American case of O. J. Simpson. He used blood identification, DNA analysis, and some of the most advanced scientific methods available at the time to solve the cases (2002). Criminologists are trained on how best to handle a crime scene while collecting the necessary evidence (Fish, 2015). Dr. Lee’s case is a clear indication of how important is the work of a criminologist in policing.
Conclusion
Criminologists are experts whose services are crucial in policing. They carry out a lot of research in which they collect, analyze, and report data to the relevant authorities, notably the police department, to help them make important decisions to prevent and control crime. They play a critical role in fighting crime, and without their input, policing would be a difficult task indeed. They are specially trained to carry out their duties. They work hand in hand with those in the criminal justice system in curbing crime.