Page:FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin 54 (8).pdf/3

 Director's Message

The concept of a National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime was developed a year ago; this special issue of the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin presents the first reportage of results to the law enforcement community of the extensive research undertaken by the Center. One of the first tasks of the Center was to collect a data base on serial murders. We believe that this is one area where a nationwide approach would best serve the needs of local authorities because many of these murderers are highly mobile in their violent criminal activities. The assistance rendered by the Behavioral Science Unit of our Training Division in developing profiles in unsolved homicide cases has been recognized by local authorities across the country. It is now an integral part of the Center. Your cooperation is sought in this undertaking by the Center, since without it we could not build the reliable data base needed to analyze the serial murders, rapes, arsons, and other crimes we have targeted. This research project has two specific objectives: (1) To develop statistical models (and companion computer software) to discriminate between patterns of homicide crime scenes, and (2) to identify patterns of behavioral and personality traits that correlate with the evidence found at the crime scene.

The National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime will be an important tool in solving these perplexing crimes that are committed by these mobile criminals in our society. We owe the Center's existence to the tremendous cooperation of officials like Pierce Brooks, former chief of police of three different cities, and longtime homicide investigator, who supervised the establishment of the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (VI-CAP)-one element of the Center-and the material support of other Department of Justice agencies: The Office of Justice Programs, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. In the latest development at the Center, we are now training local officers selected for specialization in profiling and VI-CAP matters so that each can work on these difficult cases with a local FBI Agent, also specially trained. As we develop the data base on these crimes of violence, teams working at the Center will report their progress to the whole law enforcement community in various ways, including in the pages of the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin.

William H. Webster Director August 1, 1985