Crime Scene Investigator

About

• Crime scene investigators (CSIs) go by many names, including:– evidence technician,

– crime scene technician,

– forensic investigator,

– crime scene analyst,

– criminalistics officer

• In the past, most CSI’s were trained police officers, and today most still work out of police stations. However, the role is increasingly being given to “civilians” with scientific, rather than law enforcement, expertise.

Job Responsibilities

DUTIES

Secure the crime scene Take detailed measurements Sketch and diagram the scene

Take photographs

Document all evidence taken from the scene (location, nature, etc.) Package and label evidence for transfer to the lab

Attend and photograph autopsies

Testify to their findings in court

Maintain equipment and restock portable evidence collection kits

Purpose for Crime Investigation

• The purpose of the crime scene investigation is to help establish how, when, where and what type of crime occurred. These elements can lead up to why a crime was conducted and who may have been involved. Because of the job's importance the investigator must be thorough, observant and unbiased.

– Collecting evidence is a fact driven occupation with no room for possible theories or speculation. A careful and thoughtful approach is the best path for the investigator to document conditions accurately and recognize valuable evidence.

Qualifications• Crime scene investigators are responsible

for protecting the integrity of the evidence they procure and ensuring that it cannot be dismissed on legal technicalities. They must present the evidence they have gathered in a competent and professional manner and file detailed reports about how it was gathered and why its data is significant to the case.

• Training for a crime scene investigator can begin in college, with courses in

– chemistry– forensics– anatomy– biology

• Each police department has its own specific standards for qualifying a crime scene investigator, but the position generally requires at least 700 hours of training in the proper processing of a crime scene, at least 80 hours of training in fingerprint retrieval and analysis, at least 80 hours of training in death investigation, at least 50 hours of training in bloodstain analysis and at least 40 hours of training in photography.

Overview of investigation process

Statistics

• Forensic science technicians can look forward to employment increases of 19 percent from 2010 to 2020

Videos

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