Criminal Law - VICAP and CODIS Programmes

This article discusses the VICAP and CODIS programmes in criminal law. VICAP analyses violent criminal acts and maintains a database of criminal records. CODIS matches DNA profiles with a database of criminals to track them down. The article also discusses the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies in working together on such cases.

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Criminal Law
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2/1/2019

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It is a type of programme which is created by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the USA
which aims in the analysis of the criminal acts which are very violent in nature. VICAP
programme was influenced by the Ted Bundy case who was a serial killer and mass murderer
and was considered as one of the most organised and intelligent serial killers where the local
authorities and the agencies like FBI find it hard to trace him as he has killed over 33 women.
The programme ensures and keeps a track on the criminal records of each and every which
are very carefully and efficiently maintained by the officers (Kratcoski & Edelbacher, 2015).
The information gathered and maintained in the website on the basis of specific parameters
such as weapons used at the time of crime and description of vehicles etc. which helps the
investigating authorities to identify the pattern of the crime done by the criminal.
It is a system which brings down the software and forensic science all together where the
DNA profiles of criminal are matched with the database of all the criminals which will help
the agencies to track the criminal in an effective manner (Hares, 2015). The Combined DNA
Index system platform securely keeps a track of information of all the criminals which helps
in matching the DNA at the criminal location from the information stored in the database.
CODIS is inspired by the Ted Bundy case as he had done various criminal offences at
different locations which proved difficult for the investigating authorities to keep a track on
such crimes. CODIS also helps in finding the pattern of a criminal act done by the criminal at
different locations as such type of system was absent at the time of Ted Bundy case which
has led to 33 mass murders of women across the seven states of the country (Hares, 2012).
Such a database is a very effective and efficient tool in finding the information of all the
criminal offenders.
It is very difficult for the two law enforcement agencies to work together as they follow a
different chain of commands from their superiors. It can understand that in the case of Ted

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Bundy, where the criminal acts done by him is in more than seven states and hence it would
be difficult for the different agencies in seven states to work together (Vizzard, 2014). Hence
such cases should be transferred to the FBI, where the investigation would be done with the
coordination between the officials.
The sheriffs, in particular, would be less willing to handle the case, as it demeans their
investigations policies and strategies. Apart from such reasons, the local agencies have fresh
knowledge about their investigations are done by at the criminal locations. It should be noted
that the local sheriffs do not want to demean the capability of their workforce in the minds of
the public which would also demoralise their department; hence the sheriffs of the cases are
less interested in transferring such cases to FBI.

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References
Hares, D. R. (2012). Expanding the CODIS core loci in the United States. Forensic Science
International: Genetics, 6(1), 52-54. New York: FSI Genetics.
Hares, D. R. (2015). Selection and implementation of expanded CODIS core loci in the
United States. Forensic Science International: Genetics, 17, 33-34. New York: FSI
Genetics.
Kratcoski, P. C. & Edelbacher, M. (Eds.). (2015). Collaborative Policing: Police, Academics,
Professionals, and Communities Working Together for Education, Training, and
Program Implementation (Vol. 25). United States: CRC Press.
Vizzard, W. J. (2014). FBI Influence on State and Local Police. In Encyclopedia of
Criminology and Criminal Justice, 1573-1581. New York: Springer.