Crime Classification Manual: A Standard System for Investigating and Classifying Violent Crimes (Paperback)

by John E. Douglas (Author), Ann W. Burgess (Author), Allen G. Burgess (Author), Robert K. Ressler (Author) "The FBI Academy's Behavioral Science Unit at Quantico, Virginia, began contributing to the literature on the classification of homicide with the Hazelwood and Douglas (1980)..." (more)
Key Phrases: common forensic findings, search warrant suggestions, crime scene indicators, Defining Characteristics Victimology, Crime Scene Indicators Frequently Noted, San Antonio (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"A very useful guide for any professional involved in the investigation or litigation of major felonies. Classification of the elements of crime will facilitate the conduct of criminal investigations and resolution of cases." (Richard L. Goldberg, M.D., Georgetown University Hospital)

"The very first book by and for criminal justice professionals in the major case fields . . . . The skills, techniques, and proactive approaches offered are creatively concrete and worthy of replication across the country. . . Heartily recommanded for those working in the 'front line' of major case investigation." (John B. Rabun, Jr., ACSW, vice president and chief operating officer, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)

Review
Praise for the First Edition

"A very useful guide for any professional involved in the investigation or litigation of major felonies. Classification of the elements of crime will facilitate the conduct of criminal investigations and resolution of cases."
—Richard L. Goldberg, M.D., Georgetown University Hospital

"The very first book by and for criminal justice professionals in the major case fields. . . . The skills, techniques, and proactive approaches offered are creatively concrete and worthy of replication across the country. . . .Heartily recommended for those working in the ‘front line’ of major case investigation."
—John B. Rabun Jr., ACSW, vice president and chief operating officer, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; Revised edition (August 8, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787938858
• ISBN-13: 978-0787938857
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #349,935 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for CJ profesionals, June 30, 2000

By	Christopher Cooper (Carrollton, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This book clissifies the three major violent crimes: Arson, Murder and Sexual Assaults. This book is to the Criminal Justice profession what the DSM is the the Psychology/Psychiatry profession.

This book is a useful guide for any law enforcement processional who is involved in investigative process. The manual presents several sories which help the reader learn the facts of a case, prior to the authors discussing about the specific elements of the crime.

The authors provide the investigator with "notes" on how to investigate a specific major felony - and what to look for in the criminal's profile.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Too Technical, November 17, 2000

By A Customer

I think this book is such a wonderful resource. As someone who is in school studying to work in Forensics this was a great book to read. It was not too technical and I would recommend this to anyone in law enforment, anyone who wants to some day work in law enforcement or anyone interested in learning from the masters.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Leading the field of crime classification, June 21, 2004

By	Elizabeth K. Reiter (Fountain City, WI) - See all my reviews

Whilst written primarily for the American law enforcement community this book is an excellent read and will provide a highly useful guide to police officers, criminal lawyers and criminologists the world over. John Douglas proves again that he is one of the leaders in the field of behavioral science providing a character type for each of the main crime classes. I recommend that anyone embarking on a degree with emphasis on criminal law or the sociology of crime should read this book.

The primary objective of the work is to allow US police departments to classify serious crimes for analysis purposes. Thus, if you are expecting a "profiling" guide, you will be disappointed. If on the other hand you are content with some insights into patterns of offending and potential distinguishing features, the manual is of value. It contains operational advice to police which I am less competent to judge, although the information on interview methods is limited. Finally don't buy it as a book to plough through - it is definitely for referring rather than reading, and as such should certainly be in all police libraries.