Lab for Criminologists: On the Virtual Trail of Mr. X

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07/16/2022 5:06 PM, by Christian Gunner, dpa – printed article Send an email

Immerse yourself in the world of criminals, use modern technology to play a thief, or get involved in a brawl: what seems to be a wild and crazy stunt that happens at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law is already possible in Freiburg. On Friday, a new crime research laboratory was opened.

According to the institute, it is the first independent research laboratory to use the so-called virtual reality technology in studies and experiments. Computers create a virtual environment. “We recreate realistic scenes,” says Jean-Louis van Gelder, head of the department of criminology at the Max Planck Institute in Freiburg.

With the help of headphones and modern technology, people will be put to the test in certain situations. Among other things, scientists observe people’s eyes and analyze their movement patterns. Researchers want to know how criminals make their decisions and what goes on inside of them while they commit a crime.

“We know a lot about crime, but we know very little about criminal behavior because most crimes go unnoticed,” Van Gelder says. It is about understanding the crime and the perpetrators. Research findings should flow into police and judicial training and help develop new strategies and laws.

According to the Association of German Criminal Investigators, the lab is more than just a gimmick. The association doesn’t know exactly what will happen in the lab. However, virtual reality technology is actually useful, for example, for building crime scenes.

The Ministry of the Interior in Baden-Württemberg also wants to exchange ideas with criminologists and study cooperation in the field of police security research. “Criminal research can make a significant contribution to painting a more accurate picture of the actual crime,” explains a spokeswoman. For example, it is possible to better classify the behavior of witnesses and victims.

A hypothetical burglary in an experiment by the Max Planck Institute aims to show how this works: testing people diving into a residential area and exploring the area as if they wanted to break into it at a late hour. But the hypothetical residential area is densely populated – the paths are brightly lit, and the noise comes from the apartments. The researchers want to see if thieves can be deterred. Are the perpetrators more afraid? Do you plan your business differently? Can this even prevent burglary? Scientists hope to have answers to these questions soon.

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