Journeys to Crime and the Return to Base

Gershon Ben Keren

Mon 16th Dec 2024

The Journey-to-Crime (JTC) has always been of interest to me. There are those offenders who set out to particular locations with the intent and goal of committing a crime e.g., John Duffy and David Mulcahy – the railway rapists – who would choose and head to certain railway stations in order to select/target single women, and there are those who, like foraging animals, leave their home/base looking for opportunities to present themselves. There are also those offenders who don’t start their day with any motivation to offend and then presented with an opportunity that is too good to refuse and...Click To Read More

Laptop Cameras and Security

Gershon Ben Keren

Mon 9th Dec 2024

There’s the old saying/joke that goes, “just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not after you”. If I remember correctly it comes from Jospeh Heller’s Catch-22. Imagined fears can be real. Whilst my time in security has seen me interact with technology e.g., I’ve analyzed data sets for anomalies, trends etc., I’m not much of a “hardware” guy. This means that when I come across articles or attend conferences, I’m always interested in hearing what those who work in these areas have to say. A few years ago, I was asked to demonstrate/talk about Krav Maga by an Israeli cybersecurity...Click To Read More

Sexual Value Systems & Violence

Gershon Ben Keren

Mon 2nd Dec 2024

There are certain incidents/crimes that I find myself returning to examine/study for a variety of reasons. One of these is the sexual homicide of Naomi Louise Smith in 1995, which illustrates the potential impact different sexual value systems within communities can have on violent crime. I had just finished a Master’s degree in Psychology, which was ostensibly one in forensic psychology (psychology connected with the legal/criminal justice system), that had allowed me – due to a lecturer/professor’s area of study/interest - to take part in interviews with convicted high-risk sex-offenders at HMP Frankland, a Category A men’s prison in County...Click To Read More