Understanding the skill level of criminal offenders can lead crime prevention practitioners to better interventions and security risk treatment options.

As a security industry instructor and crime prevention consultant, I have been asked what method do I use to determine criminal offender types? And, why is it useful to differentiate between different types? In this post I will identify the methods I use and why.

Criminologists may distinguish the types of criminal offenders by determining the ‘risk-to-yield’ ratio (comparing the risk that the offender is willing to take v’s the potential benefit to the offender), or the criminal history of the offender and the amount of planning and preparation that has gone into the offence.

However, the Australian Institute of Criminology has developed an alternative way, which can be very useful for practitioners.

Generally speaking, you can classify offenders by the level of skill that is utilised in their criminal development pathway. This will lead you to: Amateurs, Intermediates and Professionals. 

Amateurs will generally commit crimes of opportunity. That is, amateurs will likely be in what they perceive to be, the right place at the right time. For the amateur, little thought, and relatively no planning goes into how the offence will be committed, how the offender will escape once the offence has been committed, or details about what how to acquire, or what to do with, weapons used in the offence. In addition, these criminal offenders will often live in close proximity to where the offence takes place. Many drug and alcohol related crimes are committed from within this group, as well as ‘crimes of passion’.

At the other end of the criminal spectrum are what are considered to be the professional offender. This type of criminal offender is much less likely to undertake opportunistic offences, but rather conduct detailed planning, carry out reconnaissance, be highly motivated, have access to required tools, and know what to expect from their offence. These offenders often become dedicated to particular forms of offence such as high-level burglary, armoured car robberies, assassinations and terrorism. Also, these offenders may have received some form of training, perhaps within the military, prison system or overseas terrorist camps.

In the middle are the intermediate criminal offenders, which as the name suggests, sit somewhere between the amateur and the professional. These offenders understand the risks involved in opportunity crimes, and will therefore, undertake some level of planning and preparation prior to committing their offence. These offenders are not as committed to their craft as professionals, nor as dedicated to one particular form of offence. Whilst these offenders will take steps to ensure their success, such as escape routes, weapons, equipment and measures to distribute their gains, these measures will not be as thorough, nor as covert, as those of professional criminals.

Knowing the type of person (criminal) you are up against can give you an insight into how that type of offender will conduct their crime. This then provides a better understanding so as to enhance better selection of crime prevention interventions that will counter each type of criminal offender. For example, developing an understanding the variety of types of offenders in a recent research study in Kambah, ACT, led to a to a 42% drop in burglary crime over a 19 month period.