Inside the 'intensive' reality of criminal profiling

Detailed summary

An FBI-trained criminal profiler open ups on what the job really involves, why it's far less glamorous than TV suggests, and what it's taught her about humanity.

Kris Illingsworth is an FBI-trained criminal profiler and former NSW police detective.

She spends her days examining violent crimes and working with police and private clients to help identify the people who commit them.

We spoke to her about what the job really involves, why it’s far less glamorous than TV suggests, and what it’s taught her about humanity.

While police are trained to collect information and evidence, and whether that amounts to a crime or not, my work is about overlaying the behavioural aspects and insights to build an understanding of who might be responsible.

We help provide some focus and direction into complex, bizarre or unusual cases, but it doesn't solve a crime on its own.

We can't always be 100 per cent accurate, because it’s based on our interpretation.

On any day, I could be working on a sexual assault series, a murder case or analysing extortion letters.

I'd meet with detectives at crime scenes, usually in the days after a crime is committed - or sometimes weeks, months or even years later if it's a cold case.

Having previously reviewed the case material, I want to absorb the scene and comprehend what may have happened.

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