Why can the use of profiling be dangerous?

Even expert criminal profiling is a 'guesstimate', an educated 'guesstimate' but still a guess. Investigators who rely soley on a criminal profile can be led astray, and worse, leave a dangerous criminal free to continue committing their crimes anonymously.

Profiling the general public in the name of public safety targets a high number of innocent citizens while possibly missing suspect actions by individuals who don't fit a target profile.