You know like when they are talking about a serial killer, "What is his M.O."
2007-12-06 05:08:51 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
MO stands for "Modus operandi". It is a Latin phrase that approximately translates as "mode of operation". It is used in law enforcement to describe a criminal's characteristic patterns and style of committing crimes. It can also be used in fraud investigation when talking about behavior patterns that indicate specific types of fraud, e.g., "False identity is a key MO of...".
A criminal's MO may be used in offender profiling, where it can also be used to find clues to the perpetrator's psychology.
When dealing with serial killers, a distinction is made between MO and signature.
Actions considered part of the MO have one of 3 reasons:
1) to ensure the offender's success in committing the crime;
2) to obscure or otherwise protect the offender from being readily identified
3) to facilitate or effect the offender's escape.
Actions discovered during an investigation which fall into one or more of these categories can be ascribed as MO.
A criminal's "signature" is any unnecessary addition or "flourish" when committing a crime. The signature may be concealed within, or revealed as a part of, the MO - the mere act of making the unnecessary addition can become part of the criminal's MO. Examples of signatures may include acts of vandalism, a way of positioning or binding a victim, or the taking of a trophy.
2007-12-06 05:18:57 · answer #1 · answered by Cardinal Fang 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Modus Operandi
2007-12-06 13:30:32 · answer #2 · answered by jennyღ 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
MO=Modus Operandi=method of operation.
2007-12-06 16:22:44 · answer #3 · answered by MY NAME MICHELLE I HATE AMERICA 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is Latin for Modus Operandi. It means method of operation. In general terms that means how does a criminal usually go about carrying out his crime.
2007-12-06 13:12:16 · answer #4 · answered by jurydoc 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
1. Modus Operandi
2. Mentally Off (as in emotional disturbed person, ie, nut case) Although I think this is only police jargon in the Milwaukee WI area
2007-12-06 13:39:42 · answer #5 · answered by jtw532 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Thank you all for the lesson. All my life I thought it was motive/opportunity. Appreciate the correction--not that it ever came up in any conversation and probably never will..
2007-12-06 22:01:10 · answer #6 · answered by Dance 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Method/mode of operation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modus_operandi
2007-12-06 14:18:31 · answer #7 · answered by CGIV76 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Motis operandi-
2007-12-06 13:12:14 · answer #8 · answered by only p 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋