Modus Operandi
Modus operandi as a method of interpreting motive in crime is the most effective because unlike other methods like signature behavior, modus operandi can always evolve across various offenses. A criminal’s modus operandi behaviors are acquired through learning and hence are normally malleable and dynamic (Douglas, & Munn, 1992). On the one hand, this method may mean that criminals are likely to learn more effective skills and use them in future. It is through the repetition of once successful methods that a criminal is likely to provide clues to investigators. However, deteriorating mental ability of criminals may also occur due to increased confidence that they can easily avoid being caught by law enforcement, this causes the criminal to be less competent, less skillful and even careless.
The understanding that a criminal’s modus operandi is bound to change over time makes investigator keen to identify new evidence and the various things that could influence changes in the modus operandi of criminals. This has made modus operandi to be one of the most effective investigative tools as little assumptions are made in the process. With signature behaviors, the predictability of certain aspects of the criminal might limit the extent to which investigators can go to find more evidence of the crime (Turvey, 2011). Signature aspects being centered on the criminal’s fantasies hence tend to be hard to prove, in other words, signatures do not easily show up even though they are very static and do not possess dynamic traits. This makes modus operandi to be a very effective method when it comes to interpreting the motives of a crime, the method is likely to reveal a criminal’s techniques of protecting their identity, ensuring that their mission is successful, and escaping without any traces to avoid persecution. This means that modus operandi behavior interpretation gives fundamental information that is likely to reveal quite a lot about a criminal and can hence give clear concise leads to the criminal. Finally, modus operandi is very significant as it provides linkages to cases of crime (Turvey, 2011).
References
Douglas, J. E., & Munn, C. (1992). Violent crime scene analysis: Modus operandi, signature and staging. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, 61(2).
Turvey, B. E. (2011). Criminal profiling: An introduction to behavioral evidence analysis. Academic press.
