National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime
Encyclopedia
In November 1982, following a meeting between members of the Criminal Personality Research Project advisory board and other specialists, the concept of a single ' (NCAVC) was put forward. This elite investigative branch was never envisaged as a replacement for traditional crime investigation by local law enforcement agencies
. The proposal was unanimously adopted seven months later by a conference held at Sam Houston State University
's Center for Criminal Justice
in Huntsville
, Texas
. The delegates agreed that the NCAVC should be founded at the FBI Academy
in Quantico
and run by the agents of Behavioral Science Unit
. President Ronald Reagan
formally announced the establishment of NCAVC on 21 June 1984.
The NCAVC was conceived in 1981 by Robert K Ressler during a conversation with then Quantico director Jim McKenzie. Jim McKenzie ran with the idea and as stated in the previous paragraph eventually had it realised.
The mission of the NCAVC is to coordinate investigative and operational support functions, criminological research, and training in order to provide assistance to federal
, state
, local, and foreign law enforcement agencies investigating unusual or repetitive violent crimes (serial crimes). The NCAVC also provides investigative support through expertise and consultation in non-violent matters such as national security
, corruption
, and white-collar crime
investigations. President Reagan gave it the primary mission of ‘identifying and tracking repeat killers,’ a term he used for serial killers.
The NCAVC uses the latest advances in computer and investigative strategies to combat serial and violent crime. ViCAP (Violent Criminal Apprehension Program) and PROFILER, (a robot, rule-based expert system programmed to profile serial criminals). CIAP (Criminal Investigative Analysis Programme) is another program designed to investigate serial crime.
VICAP specifically works by identifying and linking the signature aspects in violent serial crimes. The signature of a crime is the intrinsic part of the crime which the criminal must include in order for him to be satisfied (as Ted Bundy
would say what the killer must do to "Get his rocks off")and thus is present in every crime committed by the same person (although the signature does evolve over time).
Today, every division in the FBI is mandated to have an NCAVC coordinator also known as a profiling coordinator. The NCAVC or profiling coordinator acts as a liaison to the local law enforcement agencies. Typical cases for which NCAVC services are requested include child abduction or mysterious disappearance of children, serial murders, single homicide
s, serial rapes, extortions, threats
, kidnappings, product tampering, arsons and bombings, weapons of mass destruction
, public corruption, and domestic and international terrorism
. The operational services of the NCAVC are supported by research and training programs. Requests for NCAVC services are typically facilitated through NCAVC coordinators assigned to each FBI field office.
The NCAVC is further organized into three components:
Law enforcement agency
In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
. The proposal was unanimously adopted seven months later by a conference held at Sam Houston State University
Sam Houston State University
Sam Houston State University was founded in 1879 and is the third oldest public institution of higher learning in the State of Texas. It is located in Huntsville, Texas. It is one of the oldest purpose-built institutions for the instruction of teachers west of the Mississippi River and the first...
's Center for Criminal Justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
in Huntsville
Huntsville, Texas
Huntsville is a city in and the county seat of Walker County, Texas, United States. The population was 35,508 at the 2010 census. It is the center of the Huntsville micropolitan area....
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The delegates agreed that the NCAVC should be founded at the FBI Academy
FBI Academy
The FBI Academy, located in Quantico, Virginia, is the training site for new Special Agents of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was first opened for use in 1972 on 385 acres of woodland. It is a relatively small government academy, housing three dormitory buildings and...
in Quantico
Quantico, Virginia
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there are 561 people, 295 households, and 107 families living in the town. The population density is . There are 359 housing units at an average density of .-Racial composition:...
and run by the agents of Behavioral Science Unit
Behavioral Analysis Unit
The Behavioral Analysis Unit is a component of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime that uses behavioral sciences to assist in criminal investigations...
. President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
formally announced the establishment of NCAVC on 21 June 1984.
The NCAVC was conceived in 1981 by Robert K Ressler during a conversation with then Quantico director Jim McKenzie. Jim McKenzie ran with the idea and as stated in the previous paragraph eventually had it realised.
The mission of the NCAVC is to coordinate investigative and operational support functions, criminological research, and training in order to provide assistance to federal
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
, state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
, local, and foreign law enforcement agencies investigating unusual or repetitive violent crimes (serial crimes). The NCAVC also provides investigative support through expertise and consultation in non-violent matters such as national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
, corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
, and white-collar crime
White-collar crime
Within the field of criminology, white-collar crime has been defined by Edwin Sutherland as "a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation" . Sutherland was a proponent of Symbolic Interactionism, and believed that criminal behavior was...
investigations. President Reagan gave it the primary mission of ‘identifying and tracking repeat killers,’ a term he used for serial killers.
The NCAVC uses the latest advances in computer and investigative strategies to combat serial and violent crime. ViCAP (Violent Criminal Apprehension Program) and PROFILER, (a robot, rule-based expert system programmed to profile serial criminals). CIAP (Criminal Investigative Analysis Programme) is another program designed to investigate serial crime.
VICAP specifically works by identifying and linking the signature aspects in violent serial crimes. The signature of a crime is the intrinsic part of the crime which the criminal must include in order for him to be satisfied (as Ted Bundy
Ted Bundy
Theodore Robert "Ted" Bundy was an American serial killer, rapist, kidnapper, and necrophile who assaulted and murdered numerous young women during the 1970s, and possibly earlier...
would say what the killer must do to "Get his rocks off")and thus is present in every crime committed by the same person (although the signature does evolve over time).
Today, every division in the FBI is mandated to have an NCAVC coordinator also known as a profiling coordinator. The NCAVC or profiling coordinator acts as a liaison to the local law enforcement agencies. Typical cases for which NCAVC services are requested include child abduction or mysterious disappearance of children, serial murders, single homicide
Homicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
s, serial rapes, extortions, threats
Intimidation
Intimidation is intentional behavior "which would cause a person of ordinary sensibilities" fear of injury or harm. It's not necessary to prove that the behavior was so violent as to cause terror or that the victim was actually frightened.Criminal threatening is the crime of intentionally or...
, kidnappings, product tampering, arsons and bombings, weapons of mass destruction
Weapons of mass destruction
A weapon of mass destruction is a weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures , natural structures , or the biosphere in general...
, public corruption, and domestic and international terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
. The operational services of the NCAVC are supported by research and training programs. Requests for NCAVC services are typically facilitated through NCAVC coordinators assigned to each FBI field office.
The NCAVC is further organized into three components:
- Behavioral Analysis UnitBehavioral Analysis UnitThe Behavioral Analysis Unit is a component of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime that uses behavioral sciences to assist in criminal investigations...
(BAUBauIn Sumerian and Akkadian mythology Bau was a goddess, daughter of An and Ninurta's wife. She had seven daughters, including Hegir-Nuna ....
)- East/West Regions; - Child Abduction Serial Murder Investigative Resources CenterChild Abduction Serial Murder Investigative Resources CenterThe Morgan P. Hardiman Child Abduction and Serial Murder Investigative Resources Center is part of the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime . CASMIRC was established as part of Public Law 105-314, the Protection of Children From Sexual Predators Act, passed by Congress on October 30,...
(CASMIRC); - Violent Criminal Apprehension ProgramViolent Criminal Apprehension ProgramThe Violent Criminal Apprehension Program is a unit of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation responsible for the analysis of serial violent and sexual crimes, organizationally situated within the Critical Incident Response Group's National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
(VICAP).
See also
- Modus operandiModus operandiModus operandi is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode of operation". The term is used to describe someone's habits or manner of working, their method of operating or functioning...
- Signature crimeSignature crimeA signature crime is a crime which exhibits characteristics idiosyncratic to specific criminals, known as signature aspects, signature behaviours or signature characteristics...